The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation Friday that will give all Virginians the same discounts on drug prices now available to people on Medicare.
The Affordable Medicine Act passed the House of Delegates by a 61-33 vote. The bill passed the Senate on Feb. 6 by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 31-8 vote.
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Senate Bill 271 and House Bill 483 would make the Medicare‑negotiated prices for 25 prescription drugs available to hundreds of thousands of Virginians who are not enrolled in Medicare.
“A common concern we hear from people across Virginia is how difficult it is for them to afford the medications they rely on,” said Jim Dau, state director for AARP Virginia. “Over the past five years, advocates and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have worked to ease that burden by establishing a prescription drug affordability board. During that time, both public and legislative backing have strengthened as the seriousness of this challenge has become undeniable. AARP is profoundly thankful for the bipartisan champions who have stayed committed, and we encourage Governor Spanberger to heed the 84% of Virginians who support this policy and sign the bill when it reaches her desk.”