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Should NH mandate that the state pay VA drug prices?

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The California Drug Price Relief Act will appear on the state's November 2016 ballot. The act mandates that any programs for which California serves as the ultimate payer - believed to include prison healthcare, Medicaid, state employee and retiree healthcare plans - pay no more for prescription drugs than the prices paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA is largely believed to pay the lowest negotiated prices for drugs in the U.S.

There is no similar move underway in New Hampshire.

Supporters of the act argue it would result in significant cost savings, citing reports that the VA pays as much as 9% less for drugs than state Medicaid programs.

Opponents counter that such laws will only cause drug companies to raise their initial prices or discontinue VA discounts, or question the feasibility of implementing the policy.

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