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Committee hears amendments to Prescription Drug Affordability Board bill; additional reporting and stakeholder seats added
Summary
Senate Bill 357 would refine how the Prescription Drug Affordability Board sets upper payment limits and adds stakeholder representation for rare diseases and oncology; sponsor said amendments add reporting requirements and clarify application to drugs in shortage.
Senate Bill 357, the cross-file of House Bill 424, was presented with amendments that clarify how the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) would set upper payment limits, add stakeholder seats representing rare disease and oncology communities, and expand reporting requirements.
Sen. Guile's legislative staff presented the amendments adopted in the Senate Finance Committee: additional reporting requirements following the setting of an upper payment limit; added stakeholder-council members representing rare-disease and oncology patient communities; a clarification that upper payment limits would be set through regulation consistent with the board's action plan; and an explicit exception for drugs in shortage so the board would not apply upper payment limits in those cases.
The presenter told the committee the amendments reflect ongoing coordination with the Maryland Department of Health and would require further regulatory work but preserve the board's ability to study pricing and set limits when appropriate. The committee recorded no opposition testimony in the transcript during the brief presentation and noted continued inter-branch coordination would be necessary.
No committee vote was recorded in the hearing; sponsors said they would continue working with the House to harmonize language and incorporate technical clarifications.
