February 16, 2022
Governor Murphy’s Healthcare Affordability Legislative Package
  
Governor Murphy hosted a press conference on February 14 where he formally announced his legislative agenda to address prescription drug transparency and affordability. He was joined by Senator Singleton and Assemblyman McKeon, who will work with the administration to spearhead the legislative efforts. The four-bill package includes legislation to cap out-of-pocket costs on insulin, EpiPens and asthma inhalers, consider the role of PBMs in drug pricing and the impact on prices, to increase transparency across the supply chain and allow for bulk purchasing by DHS. Senator Singleton and Assemblyman McKeon have been working to address prescription drug transparency and pricing as sponsors of legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
 
At BioNJ, we share Patient’s and others’ concerns about the affordability of healthcare. We support measures that will help to reduce Patients’ out of pocket costs, increase transparency across the entire supply chain, and at the same time, support critical medical innovation and Patient access. It is important that we develop policies that truly ensure savings for Patients and do not stifle innovation for future cures. We believe that through careful consideration and planning, each of these objectives can be achieved. BioNJ will review the proposed bills in order to gain a full understanding of each of the proposals and their implications and potential unintended consequences, but we stand ready to partner with the Governor and the Legislature to work toward these important underlying goals.
 
We need a holistic and systemwide approach to truly address this important issue. Now is not the time to stifle innovation through proposals that will do nothing to ensure savings for Patients by enacting price controls, such as those proposed in Prescription Drug Affordability Board legislation.  
 
Click here for Governor Murphy's press release.

Please find links to three of the bills below. The fourth bill is still in development.  
State Legislative Update

A-1747, legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), was considered at a February 3 hearing of the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. The bill was released from the Committee with voting along partisan lines and was referenced to the Assembly Health Committee. BioNJ believes a PDAB is the wrong way to address Patient out-of-pocket costs. Rather than taking a systemwide, holistic approach that addresses the drug supply chain middlemen, co-insurance, co-payments and health benefit design issues that can have the biggest impact on Patient costs, PDABs focus squarely on the innovative biopharmaceutical sector without any guarantee of Patient savings on necessary and lifesaving prescription treatments. Click here to read BioNJ President & CEO Debbie Hart’s testimony in opposition to this legislation.

BioNJ would like to thank all the Patients, advocates and members who testified in opposition to this bill, as well as those who sent nearly 300 letters directly to the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee just days before the February 3 hearing.
Meanwhile, S334, legislation requiring insurance carriers to pass prescription drug savings to consumers was amended and released from Senate Commerce on February 10. The bill was amended to clarify the definition of compensation pursuant to the bill and stipulate provisions of the enactment timeframe of the bill.
The bill received positive support from pharmacists and NJ Citizen Action and was referenced to the Senate Budget Committee.

Click here for a copy of the bill. 
Click here for a statement from NJ Senate Democrats. 
Governor Murphy’s Budget Address Moved to March 8

In the hopes of delivering the FY 2023 budget address in person, Governor Murphy will deliver both his fiscal year 2023 budget address and budget proposal on March 8. Stay tuned for additional details on the location, logistics and budget.
Governor Murphy Nominates Matt Platkin as Attorney General

Governor Phil Murphy nominated Matt Platkin, his former Chief Counsel, to be the State’s next Attorney General. In brief remarks, Platkin said his priorities will be targeting the root causes of gun violence, rebuilding trust in law enforcement and pursuing lawsuits against polluters and those who take advantage of residents and consumers. Platkin's nomination will require a vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee and a full vote of the Senate. BioNJ congratulates Acting Attorney General Platkin and looks forward to working with him in his new role.
Council of State Bioscience Association Submits
Comments to CMS 

BioNJ joined with 45 members of the Council of State Bioscience Association (CSBA) to deliver an unprecedented response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the recent National Coverage Analysis (NCA) for Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against Amyloid for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The letter conveyed CSBA’s concern that the Proposed National Coverage Determination (NCD) would set a dangerous precedent, restricting access to a promising class of new amyloid-focused therapies. In addition to the impact on Americans struggling with AD, it would also have far-reaching implications for a variety of Patient populations living with unmet medical needs – Patients who stand to benefit from therapies approved for difficult-to-treat diseases, notably those approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Accelerated Approval pathway.

CSBA also voiced concern with the proposal which limits coverage only to Patients enrolled in government-approved Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) as the vast majority of individuals suffering from AD will have no meaningful access to an approved medicine simply because of where they live and where they go for care.

CSBA shared that CMS should be encouraging the development of new and innovative treatments for conditions like AD – not adopting restrictions on coverage that threaten to stall the advancement of an entire class of therapies for a degenerative condition that has no viable treatment option.

Click here to read the full letter.
Congressman Pallone Delivers Remarks ARPA-H

BioNJ applauds Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. for his commitment to biomedical research and appreciates his recent opening remarks at a Health Subcommittee hearing titled, “ARPA-H: The Next Frontier of Biomedical Research.”

Please click here to read Chairman Pallone’s opening remarks.
For the Committee memo, click here.
We Need Your Help: Support BioNJ Policy and Advocacy Efforts

BioNJ is the voice of New Jersey’s life sciences sector in Trenton and Washington. BioNJ’s Public Policy Support Series sponsorship opportunities are available for 2022. Sponsorship opportunities help make sure that our message is delivered in both Trenton and Washington, D.C. Help ensure BioNJ continues to deliver our message of improved Patient access and enhanced innovation through a Public Policy Support Series Sponsorship.  

More information is available here.
Thank You to Our Public Policy Sponsors
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