Michigan lawmakers working to cap rising prescription prices

DETROIT (FOX 2) - There is real concern when it comes to the cost of prescription drugs, and state lawmakers say they are working on solutions.

What they're saying:

The solution, they say, is a group of five people hand-picked by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who would essentially look over the price of prescription drugs and set a limit on how much they can charge.

It's a bill that has been tried before but never made it to the governor's desk. Now some Democrats are trying again.

Inside a packed senior home in Saint Clair Shores, were stories about the rising cost of drugs.

Representative Denise Mentzer says she met a man who used to pay $80 for a three-month supply of his diabetes medication, and then his employer switched insurance plans. She said a 90-day supply of the same drug, same dosage, increased to $450. 

It's a tale that resonates with Berdie Nash, who also has diabetes.

"I’m concerned about the price going up, and I have family in a similar type of situation where they need their medication, and are concerned about it too," Nash said.

Which is why talk of a state-run drug affordability board piqued her interest.

"They are there to hold big pharma accountable because, right now, pharma can just say this is what it costs because research and development and all the costs, but they don’t have to show anyone their books," said Dr. Rob Davidson.

Dig deeper:

Here's how Senate Bills 3, 4, and 5 would work;

The governor would appoint five people, unaffiliated with the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, to set price limits in the state, in theory curbing profits for the prescription drug industry.

It's a set of laws that Senator Kevin Hertel has supported in the past.

"Someone is just making a lot of money while someone who needs that medicine to stay alive is suffering," he said.

But it also has not made it out of the House by a vote. Those on this panel say it's because the drug lobby pours hundreds of millions into stopping this law before it can get to a vote.

The other side:

PatientRising.org out of Virginia is a national group opposed to an advisory board. On its website, it argues the board will lead to insurance denials and coverage costs, and setting price limits could impact mom-and-pop pharmacies in terms of reimbursement.

Roughly a dozen states currently have a drug affordability board.

In Michigan, the bills were introduced in January and are in committee before heading to the floor for a vote.