An Act relative to promoting healthcare access and affordability for patients

This bill aims to improve healthcare access and affordability in Massachusetts by modifying how prescription drug rebates are handled and requiring a study on future cell and gene therapies. It repeals existing sections of the law and adds a new requirement for health insurance carriers to annually certify that they pass at least 80 percent of their estimated pharmaceutical rebates to insured patients by lowering their out-of-pocket costs, while protecting specific rebate data from public disclosure. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the Health Policy Commission and the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct a comprehensive analysis by 2025 to project the availability and costs of new cell and gene therapies, assess current reimbursement methods, and identify potential barriers to access for MassHealth beneficiaries and other vulnerable populations.