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* From the twitters…
* More legislation on this topic…
As a legislative committee digs into the issue, Illinois House Democrats are pushing a package of bills this spring that aim to make prescription drugs more accessible, affordable and accountable.
Led by state Rep. Will Guzzardi, chairman of the new House Prescription Drug Affordability and Access Committee, several lawmakers discussed their proposals for prescription drug reform Wednesday at a Statehouse news conference.
Among the ideas being championed are:
* House Bill 1441, sponsored by Rep. Anna Moeller, to create a path for Illinois to be a licensed wholesaler of imported drugs from regulated Canadian suppliers
* HB 56 and HB 156, sponsored by Rep. Mary Flowers, to require drug manufacturers to notify health insurers, providers and lawmakers when they plan to increase prescription drug prices, and to require health insurers to disclose to the state where Illinois spends significant health care dollars on prescription drugs and which costs have increased over time
* Legislation from Rep. Guzzardi that would create a new tax on some prescription drugs on price increases beyond inflation that cannot be passed on to consumers (HB 2880); and create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in state government to regulate prescription drugs similar to how the state now regulates electric utilities through the Illinois Commerce Commission (HB 3493)
* And…
State Representative Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) has filed a workers’ compensation reform package consisting of legislation to address this major area impeding job growth in Illinois.
“Workers’ compensation costs in Illinois are among the highest in the country and it is driving job creators of all sizes out of the state,” said Skillicorn. “A couple of weeks ago, I heard from a small business owner in my district who has been forced to move his business out of Illinois because all the costs from the state are too much. This is another 50 good paying jobs we are losing.”
The workers’ compensation reform package consists of House Bills 2634 and 2635. It focuses on reducing workers’ compensation costs by reforming cost driving rates and fees. HB 2634 targets excessive attorney’s fees by reducing them from 20% to 15%, while HB 2635 targets accident rates and medical fees by lowering them to levels similar to other states and those authorized by Medicare.
“Last week, Gov. Pritzker added more cost to the price of doing business in Illinois by signing Senate Bill 1 into law, but if he is serious about making our state more business friendly, then he seriously needs to take up workers’ compensation reform,” said Skillicorn. “If we don’t reform workers’ compensation and other cost drivers, the small business owner I heard from will only be one of many more to leave Illinois.”
* Related…
* A plea for rent control
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 11:50 am
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The GOP message in this state, as everywhere, is that nothing that adds even a single penny to a capitalist’s overhead should be allowed, regardless of how beneficial it would be to the public. Which is how you get folks like Skillicorn arguing, in effect, that workers should be happy working $8.25/hour jobs in perpetuity with no hope of a wage increase and no safety net if they get sick or injured. Amazing how that hasn’t resonated with the broader electorate.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:04 pm
They should limit the fees lawyers representing the insurance companies get to the same amount the lawyers for the injured worker gets.
The insurance companies should be forced to open their books, like they do in other states.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:06 pm
A plea for rent control: “Rent control, also known as rent stabilization…it limits how much a landlord can raise rents to a small amount tied to inflation…”
So no steps and lanes for landlords?
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:21 pm
Illinois is cherimoya one of the highest costs states.
Illinois is ranked 22nd out of 50 states.
Right there in the middle.
http://mymail-dog.com/page.html?p=0000015Fu8vitTtTsp1AOBjOcswyGiZ72Wb8ajPTslNg==&e=0E00190510000B0B001621000813470F410E0C0C
Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:27 pm
They should go a lot farther than that to rein in prescription drug costs. In some cases, the profiteering has approached high seas piracy. The State can try to force something, but it is really a problem for the US Congress.
At minimum, the Feds need to ban television advertising; a lot of the money is going there.
A lot of money is also bring spent sales representatives to persuade the doctors to proscribe the newest, most profitable drugs and other medical products.
And forbid the slight tweaks to formulas that allow a drug company to keep a brand on patent and away from having a genetic version made. Might want to look at some of the European regulations.
Finally, allow the federal health programs to competitively reverse bid for drugs.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:28 pm
Rent control makes some sense- in places where there is housing scarcity. Illinois, and Chicago specifically, have plenty of housing- the state is losing residents. The scarcity lies in “myneighborhood”. Its not yours- neighborhoods evolve. There are plenty of affordable units- you just have to try a new community.
Comment by West Sider Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:34 pm
RNUG: great post, one quibble.
Approaches high seas piracy? Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet would salivate at the opportunity for vast riches to be plundered in the prescription drug racket. Pharma has gone to heights that the golden age of piracy could not even deign to fathom.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:44 pm
== Pharma has gone to heights that the golden age of piracy could not even deign to fathom. ==
I couldn’t think of any other description at the time I wrote it.
Maybe more like the Robber Barons?
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:51 pm
==There are plenty of affordable units- you just have to try a new community.==
I’d suggest not leading with that at the next Pilsen Alliance meeting.
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:55 pm
==Maybe more like the Robber Barons?==
How many pension dollars are invested in Big Pharma?
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:56 pm
The only Workers Compensation Reform bill any governor should consider is to require insurance companies to follow NCCI recommendations for rates. Cost per claim is down dramatically and the number of claims is down around 20% since 2011 and the insurance companies are pocketing the money.
Cut all you want on the benefit side, but if insurance companies do not pass the savings on to the the businesses you are only increasing profits for mostly out of state insurance companies.
IL has over 300 insurance companies writing work comp. More than any other state. We are the best state in the nation for insurance companies to make money writing work comp insurance.
The market will push rates down, but you have to shop the coverage. If your rates have not gone down since 2011 get a new insurance carrier.
Comment by the Patriot Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 12:59 pm
RNUG, May I suggest “Russian oligarchs”?
Even if Guzzardi’s bill passes, some aldermen may be hesitant to vote for rent control given the shallacking Arena just took over affordable housing. In some areas homeowners don’t appear to be too sympathetic to the plight of renters.
Comment by Bourbon Street Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:10 pm
the Patriot is spot on. None of this works unless you force the insurance companies to cut the rates. You cannot allow them to simply keep the profits resulting from any changes.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:48 pm
@RNUG = all good ideas.
I think the idea behind making IL a licensed wholesaler of Canadian drugs is designed to be a workaround in the absence of federal/Congressional action on this. If the state can do it, that would probably set a national precedent.
Comment by dbk Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 1:53 pm
West Sider, there’s no statewide housing market, but Chicagoland’s high prices are caused by local housing scarcity leading to the area’s high prices which increases the popularity of rent control in the area. That said rent control has been a bad practice where tried & the solution for housing affordability, at least for people above 50% of area median income, is to eliminate restrictions on how much housing someone can build on real estate they own, probably with subsidies similar to those already in place for people with incomes below 50% of area median income.
Comment by 62656 Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 3:43 pm
I’m going to leave this here without comment
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/27/698509957/oregon-set-to-pass-the-first-statewide-rent-control-bill
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 3:54 pm
No need to have rent control. Let people park campers and live on on the streets. Rents will go down in a hurry.
https://www.marketplace.org/2017/12/19/economy/officials-see-emerging-economy-los-angeles-rvs-rented-out-homeless-people
Comment by Winnebago Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 5:32 pm
There is absolutely no affordable housing problem. There are houses that you can buy for $15000 in Chicago. You can get vacant lots for $1. Not everyone is entitled to live wherever they wish.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 27, 19 @ 7:56 pm
==There is absolutely no affordable housing problem. There are houses that you can buy for $15000 in Chicago.==
The peasants have no bread. Let them eat cake.
==You can get vacant lots for $1.==
A vacant lot gets mighty cold when you don’t also have a house.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 12:01 am