Grasse-Backed Bill to Rein in Prescription Drug Prices Passes House

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Consumers will be better protected from rising prescription costs under new legislation backed by state Rep. Nicolle Grasse, D-Arlington Heights, which passed the House last week.

“Reining in the cost of prescription drugs is one of my top priorities this year. Creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board is a real step toward holding big corporations accountable when they put profits over people,” Grasse said. “No parent should have to stretch every dollar to get their child the medication they need. No senior should have to choose between their prescriptions and everything else they rely on to live. This board is about protecting people, plain and simple.”

Senate Bill 3496 establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which tasks appointed members to review prescription drugs sold in Illinois and establish an upper payment limit (UPL) for consumers. Initially, the board will be tasked with adopting a UPL on 10 prescription drugs that meet Medicare’s Maximum Fair Price (MFP) standards.

Once adopted, the payment limit will apply to those prescriptions when sold in Illinois. The practice is similar to an existing statute meant to protect ratepayers from utility hikes. Ten other states, including New York and Colorado, have established similar boards or granted upper payment limit authority to other agencies in effort to keep prescription drugs affordable and accessible to patients.

“Affordable healthcare is a human right, and securing that right could not be more important as the cost-of-living continues to pose enormous challenges to many Illinoisans,” Grasse said. “The federal government is cutting funding for essential services, but in Illinois, we’re doing everything we can to fight back.”