Louisiana Senate Passes Bill to Create Prescription Drug Affordability Board

The Louisiana Senate passed SB 401, which would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to gather data on high-cost drugs and report findings publicly. The board would identify affordability concerns and provide information to policymakers about how drug costs affect patients, taxpayers, employers, and the healthcare system. The proposal would not impose price controls.

President Donald Trump has said Americans pay “massively higher prices than other nations pay for the same exact pill, from the same factory.” The administration has used pricing data to support affordability efforts. Texas has required pharmaceutical price reporting since 2019. The federal government requires manufacturers to disclose information for Medicare and Veterans Affairs programs.

Louisiana taxpayers spend roughly $1.1 billion annually on Medicaid prescription drugs after rebates. Nationally, Medicaid drug spending exceeds $44 billion annually. The median increase this year was roughly 4 percent, above the roughly 2.7 percent inflation rate.

The bill now moves to the House for consideration. Gov. Jeff Landry has made rural healthcare transformation and affordability priorities for the administration.