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Committee reviews H.577 to join ArrayRx discount‑card collaboration; treasurer seeks $50,000 start‑up appropriation
Summary
The House Ways & Means Committee heard testimony on H.577 to establish a Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program that would join the ArrayRx multi‑state collaborative, authorize fees to defray costs, and request a $50,000 one‑time appropriation for outreach; members pressed witnesses on fee authority, privacy, pharmacy participation and whether a separate special fund is necessary.
The House Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday heard detailed testimony on H.577, a bill to create the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program and join a multi‑state ArrayRx collaboration intended to reduce out‑of‑pocket prescription costs for Vermonters.
Treasurer’s office representatives told the committee the ArrayRx model is run operationally by staff in other states and offers a free discount card that can produce deep pharmacy discounts at the point of sale. "If we got the same take up that Connecticut has received ... we would see ... $18,000,000 a year" in savings, a Treasurer's office presenter said. The sponsor’s proposal asks the Legislature to appropriate $50,000 as a one‑time start‑up cost for outreach and marketing and to permit the Treasurer to require "reasonable fees" to defray program costs.
The bill would establish the program in a new subchapter of 18 V.S.A.,…
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