AARP-backed bills making headway on Beacon Hill

As the fall formal legislation season winds down, AARP Massachusetts saw key bills make headway on Beacon Hill. Nursing home reform and a bill aimed at cutting prescription drug costs cleared hurdles.

The Massachusetts House passed House Bill No. 4178 - An Act To Improve Quality And Oversight Of Long-Term Care. Among the many reforms, the bill creates a higher standard for infection control, takes direct steps to address the staffing crisis and provides funding for communications technologies that enable residents to participate in social activities.

Read AARP Massachusetts letter thanking the Massachusetts House of Representatives for passing the bill here.

AARP believes Massachusetts most vulnerable residents who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities deserve better than subpar conditions. What’s happened in the Bay State’s nursing homes and other long-term care facilities through the pandemic is an unacceptable tragedy. AARP is urging the Massachusetts Senate to pass the Reform bill.

If passed in the Senate, the bill would then go to Governor Maura Healey.

The Senate passed a comprehensive bill that ensures Bay State residents have access to affordable prescription drugs. Among the proposals in Senate Bill No. 2499 - An Act Relative To Pharmaceutical Access, Costs And Transparency: making insurers cover the bill for generic drugs and setting a $25 limit on brand drugs, creating a licensing process for pharmacy benefit managers and requiring drug companies to announce price hikes and new products before they’re enacted.

In a letter thanking the Senate for passing the bill, AARP State Director Mike Festa and AARP Massachusetts State President say “We know prescription drug coverage plays a vital role in the health and financial security of the older population. For older adults, prescription drugs are critical in managing their chronic conditions, curing diseases, keeping them healthy and improving their quality of life.” Read the entire letterhere.

AARP has been fighting big drug companies’ out-of-control prices for years and is not backing down. AARP urges the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass Senate Bill No. 2499 - An Act Relative To Pharmaceutical Access, Costs And Transparency.

If passed in the Massachusetts House, the bill then go to Governor Maura Healey.

Are you interested in helping push these bills over the finish line? Help AARP Massachusetts make these bills become laws. Email us at ma@aarp.org