Policy Update: MassBio Commends Governor, Lawmakers for Ensuring Patient Access, Physician Education

Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick signed the FY2013 budget, which included two provisions MassBio has been working on.

The first was a partial repeal of the Massachusetts gift ban law enacted two years ago. The second was language that allows Massachusetts residents to take advantage of co-payment assistance plans offered by the industry to help defray the sometimes high-cost of medicines. Until now, Massachusetts was the only state in the nation to not allow such assistance programs, and MassBio has been working to correct that for years.

We thank all of our members who have advocated on these issues, as well as Governor Patrick and the legislative leaders in Massachusetts for their commitment to the industry. Below is a statement we released yesterday following the bill-signing at the State House.

MassBio Commends Governor, Lawmakers for Ensuring Patient Access, Physician Education

July 8, 2012 (CAMBRIDGE, MA) — MassBio applauded Governor Patrick and the state legislature for including provisions in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget that allow Massachusetts residents to take advantage of co-payment assistance programs and ensure appropriate relationships between industry and providers.

“We strongly commend Governor Patrick for signing the FY2013 budget, addressing two important issues – industry/provider interaction and patient access. This sends a message that Massachusetts is truly the leader in life sciences,” said Robert K. Coughlin, President & CEO of MassBio, which represents 600+ life sciences companies and organizations in Massachusetts. “We are not world leaders by accident, but because of leaders like Governor Patrick, Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Murray and their dedicated members—who went through a thoughtful and deliberate process in which they were determined to get it right – and they did.”

The final budget, which was supported by the House and the Senate, allows Massachusetts patients to use co-payment assistance programs to keep down the cost of out-of-pocket expenses and improve medication adherence. Until now, Massachusetts was the only state in the country which did not allow access to these programs.

“Governor Patrick has, once again, demonstrated his commitment to an industry that is vital to the future of our state’s economy, but more importantly to the patients both near and far who await the next breakthrough therapies that will improve their lives,” said Geoff MacKay, President & CEO of Organogenesis Inc. and Chairman of the Board at MassBio. “Any questions about Massachusetts’ pre-eminence in our industry were answered in the final version of the budget, which was thoughtfully prepared by Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Murray and their dedicated members, and strikes a true balance between bolstering innovation and minimizing barriers to patient access.”

James Hoyes, President of EMD Serono, said, “EMD Serono applauds Governor Patrick and the leadership of the Massachusetts legislature for their support of increased access to medicines for the people of Massachusetts. This important change to allow co-pay assistance programs, enacted as part of the FY2013 budget, will enable companies like EMD Serono, Inc. to offer the same benefits to Massachusetts residents as other patients around the country. We at EMD Serono are very proud of our co-pay assistance programs which pay a portion of, and in some cases the entire co-payment for eligible patients, many of whom otherwise could not afford their prescription co-payments.”