How to submit written testimony for LD 1018
Visit the Testimony Submission page on the Maine Legislature website and select the following:
- Type: Public Hearing
- Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services
- Date: April 16, 2025 10AM
- Bill: LD 1018 - An Act to Protect Health Care for Rural and Underserved Areas by Prohibiting Discrimination by Participants in a Federal Drug Discount Program
- Upload a file, enter your information, and press submit!
The Issue in Maine
For over 30 years, the 340B Program has increased access to care for rural and underserved communities. Efforts to restrict this program only serve to increase profits for pharmaceutical companies at the expense of patient care across Maine.
The 340B drug pricing program was established to help safety-net providers like Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and hospitals that support rural populations stretch scarce federal resources to provide more comprehensive services and reach more eligible patients in rural and underserved areas. The program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to sell certain outpatient drugs to safety-net providers at a discount who then re-invest these savings into patient services and charity care. Drug companies – not taxpayers nor the government – cover the cost of this program.
Health centers pass the savings on to their patients through reduced drug prices and invest additional savings to expand access and improve health outcomes. FQHCs are required – by statute and regulation, as well as by mission – to invest all 340B savings into activities that support their Federally-approved goal of expanding access to care for medically-underserved patients.
Coalition to Protect Health Care for Rural and Underserved Communities
Ongoing actions by pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers are diverting savings away from patient care and into corporate pockets. State legislatures across the country are taking action to ensure that the health care safety net can continue to access this program.
Maine Primary Care Association, Maine Hospital Association, Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists and Maine Pharmacy Association have joined together to support LD 1018, An Act to Protect Health Care for Rural and Underserved Areas by Prohibiting Discrimination by Participants in a Federal Drug Discount Program and fight back against efforts by pharmaceutical manufacturers to restrict access to this critical program in Maine. Over the past five years, more than 35 pharmaceutical manufacturers have placed several restrictive and discriminatory requirements on 340B entities, resulting in millions in lost savings for Maine’s safety-net providers. This legislation addresses these common tactics and protects the health care safety net in Maine - at no cost to the taxpayer or government.
Media Coverage
On January 29th, the Coalition to Protect Health Care for Rural and Underserved Communities gathered in the Welcome Center at the State House with members of the Legislature to announce state-level legislation aimed at protecting the 340B Drug Pricing Program. A sampling of media coverage from the press conference and other news follows below:
- Democrats and Republicans unite on bill to defend drug pricing program – Newscenter Maine (1/29/25)
- Maine health groups push for law to protect access to discount drug program – Press Herald (1/30/25)
- Maine bill would help protect drug discount program, advocates say more transparency is needed – MainePublic (1/29/30)
- New bill would protect federal program providing lower cost prescriptions to rural Mainers – Fox23 (1/30/25)
- Legislation proposed to protect current pharmaceutical drug program – WABI5 (1/29/30)
- Lawmakers want to close a loophole to protect drug discount prices for rural Mainers – Spectrum News (1/29/30)
- Maine, Mass. Introduce 340B Contract Pharmacy Access Bills; Mass. Also Introduces Separate Provider Reporting Legislation - 340B Report (3/18/25)
