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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 90 FILED ON: 1/10/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 714 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Bruce E. Tarr |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to pharmaceutical "gag clauses". |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 90 FILED ON: 1/10/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 714 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 714) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation |
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| 19 | 19 | | relative to pharmaceutical "gag clauses". Financial Services. |
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| 20 | 20 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 21 | 21 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 652 OF 2019-2020.] |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act relative to pharmaceutical "gag clauses". |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no contract for |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2pharmacy services between a health insurance carrier or pharmacy benefits manager and a |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3pharmacy or pharmacist shall contain a provision prohibiting or penalizing a pharmacist’s |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4disclosure to an insured individual purchasing a covered prescription medication of information |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5regarding: (i) the cost of the prescription medication to the individual, and (ii) the availability of |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6any equivalent medication or alternative methods of purchasing the prescription medication, |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7including, but not limited to, paying a cash price, which may be less expensive than the cost of |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8the prescription medication to the individual. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9 (b) No health insurance carrier or pharmacy benefits manager shall require an individual |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10to make a payment at the point of sale for a covered prescription medication in an amount greater 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11than the amount an individual would pay for the prescription medication if the individual |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12purchased the prescription medication without using a health insurance plan. |
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