Other Issues
We do expect to see some movement on our other issues, such as drug pricing transparency, prior authorization and non-medical switching. However, we expect to see significantly fewer bills on prior authorization and non-medical switching than on the three main issues described above. There will be many pieces of legislation addressing drug price transparency, but we are not expecting to see many sweeping pharmacy benefit manager reform measures like those we have seen in the past. The bills that have been introduced so far are narrow in scope but much more viable in the current environment than larger reform packages.
How You Can Help
Finally, it is important to address the proverbial elephant in the room. COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way that we interact with legislators. The primary challenge that we will face as an advocacy community in 2021 is developing strategies to effectively advocate when we cannot advocate in person. This year, your participation and use of digital platforms are more important than ever to help ensure advocacy wins. Visit the ACR’s Legislative Action Center and complete the federal and state alerts throughout the year. The voices and support of our members have always been what makes our advocacy wins possible. During this public health emergency and worldwide pandemic, we need those voices to be louder than ever before. You can also contact the ACR’s advocacy team for help with issues you are experiencing in your area or practice by emailing [email protected].
Joseph Cantrell, JD, is the senior manager of state affairs for the ACR.
