美国国家公共电台 NPR--Maryland created a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to rein in prices

Maryland created a Prescription¹ Drug Affordability² Board to rein³ in prices

Transcript⁴

Maryland is working on a new way to keep prescription drugs affordable⁵, as pharmaceutical⁶ companies continue to raise prices. Other states are following Maryland's lead.

: [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: This story incorrectly identifies Jane Horvath as a health policy analyst⁷ at the Commonwealth⁸ Fund. She is an independent health consultant⁹ on state drug issues who has done work for the fund.]

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Pharmaceutical companies keep raising prices. The costs are hitting patients, sometimes forcing them to pay thousands of dollars for medications. The state of Maryland wants to keep drugs affordable, and WYPR reporter Scott Maucione has more.

SCOTT MAUCIONE, BYLINE¹⁰: Larry Zarzecki has Parkinson's disease, and the out-of-pocket costs for his drugs over the last three years reached about $100,000.

LARRY ZARZECKI: I totally went through an IRA that I had, and I had to sell my house.

MAUCIONE: Zarzecki is one of the 25% of Americans who have trouble affording prescription drugs due to high out-of-pocket costs. It's estimated that Americans spend an average of $1,300 a year on prescription drugs, but some medications can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2019, Maryland became the first state to legislate¹¹ a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in an attempt to rein in prices, and now the board is preparing to undertake its work in earnest. It's now going through a public comment period to solidify¹² the way it will review drugs. Rachel Sachs is a professor of health law at Washington University in St. Louis.

RACHEL SACHS: The idea is for states to think about what a fair price would be that can increase access to these drugs for patients within the state.

MAUCIONE: The Maryland Legislature gave the board the authority to set upper price limits, a solid monetary¹³ top line that insurers in the state will not pay more than for a specific drug. Maryland's Drug Affordability Board will conduct cost reviews of drugs that seem too expensive - for example, generic¹⁴ drugs that increased in price by 200% over the last year, generic drugs that cost more than a hundred dollars a month or brand-name drugs that launched at $30,000 or more a year. During the review, the board will look at 10 factors, like available discounts, alternatives to the drug and cost to health plans. Andrew York is the executive director of Maryland's Drug Affordability Board.

ANDREW YORK: Then there's the ultimate determination of after a drug undergoes a cost review, they make the determination of if it causes an affordability challenge or not.

MAUCIONE: Jane Horvath, a health policy analyst at the Commonwealth Fund, says negotiations¹⁵ are common in medicine.

JANE HORVATH: Nobody pays what they are charged. Health insurers establish payment rates for what they will pay a hospital for a certain procedure or a certain illness. Insurers will set rates for what they'll reimburse¹⁶ pharmacies¹⁷ for for generic drugs, for instance. A prescription drug affordability board builds on those models that already exist at the state level.

MAUCIONE: Other states are now catching¹⁸ on. Six states, including Colorado and Oregon, now have their own boards but have still yet to perform cost reviews. However, not everyone thinks the boards will help patients. Priscilla VanderVeer is the vice¹⁹ president of public affairs at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

PRISCILLA VANDERVEER: Any time that a board of government officials make unilateral decisions about people's health care, it can create a situation where you have people making choices and coming between the decisions between a doctor and a patient.

MAUCIONE: For now, Larry Zarzecki, who has Parkinson's disease, says he's taking advantage of the new drug rebates²⁰ and coupons²¹ that companies are offering to make ends meet.

ZARZECKI: It began a really positive change in the way prescriptions²² are being looked at. It's allowed me to afford to buy my two grandsons Christmas presents this year.

MAUCIONE: He says that's a big increase in his quality of life.

ZARZECKI: It was the first time since I can remember that I've been able to really enjoy Christmas with them.

MAUCIONE: Zarzecki says he hopes the affordability board will provide better drug pricing for all Marylanders who are struggling with high medication costs. Maryland's prescription board is planning on conducting its first cost reviews this fall.

For NPR News, I'm Scott Maucione.

Copyright ? 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts²³ are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor²⁴. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative²⁵ record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

1 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

2 affordability   

可购性

参考例句：

• Performance-Based Logistics Affordability: Can We Afford Categorical Conversion to Performance-Based Acquisition? 基于性能的后期的可承受性：能否担负得起向基于性能的采办的无条件的转变？
• There would be no crisis of affordability, as't for food or clothing. 就想食物与服装一样，因为供给没有危机。

3 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

9 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

10 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

11 legislate   

vt.制定法律；n.法规，律例；立法

参考例句：

• Therefore,it is very urgent to legislate for the right of privacy.因此，为隐私权立法刻不容缓。
• It's impossible to legislate for every contingency.为每一偶发事件都立法是不可能的。

12 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

13 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

14 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

15 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

16 reimburse   

v.补偿，付还

参考例句：

• We'll reimburse you for your travelling expenses.我们将付还你旅费。
• The funds are supposed to reimburse policyholders in the event of insurer failure.这项基金将在保险公司不能偿付的情况下对投保人进行赔付。

17 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

18 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

19 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

20 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句

21 coupons   

n.礼券( coupon的名词复数 )；优惠券；订货单；参赛表

参考例句：

• The company gives away free coupons for drinks or other items. 公司为饮料或其它项目发放免费赠券。 来自辞典例句
• Do you have any coupons? 你们有优惠卡吗？ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

22 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。

23 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

24 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

25 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。