A North Carolina General Assembly proposal (House Bill 524) would mandate that consumers cover, or pay for, oral chemotherapy drugs the same as they do IV chemotherapy drugs through their insurance premiums.
The Coalition is OPPOSED to this legislation.
The bill would cause premiums to increase and provide no check on Big Pharma’s specialty drug prices.
Oral chemotherapy drugs are already some of the most expensive on the market and many are priced significantly higher than IV chemo drugs.
In a 14 year span, Big Pharma increased the cost of these drugs by more than 500 percent to an average total of $11,325 a month.
The HB524 mandate does absolutely nothing to:
- Protect patients from the high costs of their lifesaving drugs.
- Rein in excessive prices set by Big Pharma.
- Help those on chemotherapy save money.
It simply gives Big Pharma a free pass and sends insurance premiums even higher.
Actions related to this bill will be factored into a member’s Affordable Healthcare Grade at the close of the legislative session.
