Virginia senator pushing for creation of board to keep prescription drug costs down

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A new survey from AARP says Virginia voters want action to lower prescription drug prices.

20th District Senator Bill Stanley (R) is pushing for state lawmakers to join him in legislation to keep those prices down.

“We have a gap of Virginians that are not eligible for Medicaid, but don’t have insurance that would defray or at least reduce the cost of that prescription drugs in any meaningful way,” Sen. Stanley said.

The senator is advocating for the creation of a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which would set limits on how much Virginians would pay.

AARP’s survey says Virginians support something like that.

“Eighty-five percent of Democrats, 71% of Republicans, and 70% of independent voters all support Prescription Drug Affordability Board,” Sen. Stanley said.

Jillian Goodwin is among those supporters. The prescription drugs she takes for her Cystic Fibrosis would be entirely unaffordable if she ever lost insurance coverage.

“One of them in particular, retails for $360,000 a year, which would require me to make $153 an hour just to afford that one medication,” Goodwin said. “I think it is time for lawmakers to hold drug companies accountable for these skyrocketing costs.”

“If we don’t do it now, what will be the consequences to those Virginians who we let down? That will be on us,” Sen. Stanley said.

AARP says it is hoping that candidates running for seats in the General Assembly in 2023 will add this as a campaign issue.

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