The Washington State Health Cary Authority has made available its report to the legislature regarding the state Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) and is finalizing related rules. Legislation establishing the PDAB was passed during the 2022 legislative session due to concerns about significant increases to the cost of prescription drugs by drug manufacturers. Activities accomplished during 2023 that are noted in the report include:
- The Governor appointed the 5-member Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and HCA hired a support staff for the Board.
- HCA and the Board created an initial drug list to facilitate future affordability reviews by the Board.
- HCA published a public-facing webpage, meeting calendar, and resources for further information on the Board’s activities on the HCA website.
In 2024, the Board’s objectives are to:
- Establish an advisory board to assist in affordability reviews.
- Conduct an affordability review of up to 24 drugs.
- Develop a methodology for projecting cost-savings from a proposed upper payment limit on select drugs.
The upper payment limit will apply to state regulated programs but may also be adopted by employer-sponsored self-funded plans. The upper payment limit may not go into effect until at least 90 days after the beginning of the next regular legislative session and in no case prior to January 1, 2027. More information, including meetings schedules, agendas, and reports is on HCA’s PDAB web page. (Andrew Busz, andrewb@wsha.org)
