Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1203 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2247 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1203
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/15/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/31/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2247 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1203
18	18	By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1203) of
19	19	Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others relative to contracts for pharmacy services between health
20	20	insurance carriers or pharmacy benefits' managers and pharmacies or pharmacists. Financial
21	21	Services.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1055 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no contract for
33	33	2pharmacy services between a health insurance carrier or pharmacy benefits manager and a
34	34	3pharmacy or pharmacist shall contain a provision prohibiting or penalizing a pharmacist’s
35	35	4disclosure to an insured individual purchasing a covered prescription medication of information
36	36	5regarding (i) the cost of the prescription medication to the individual, and (ii) the availability of
37	37	6any equivalent medication or alternative methods of purchasing the prescription medication,
38	38	7including, but not limited to, paying a cash price, which may be less expensive than the cost of
39	39	8the prescription medication to the individual. 2 of 2
40	40	9 SECTION 2. No health insurance carrier or pharmacy benefits manager shall require an
41	41	10individual to make a payment at the point of sale for a covered prescription medication in an
42	42	11amount greater than the amount an individual would pay for the prescription medication if the
43	43	12individual purchased the prescription medication without using a health insurance plan.