By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


A local legislator’s bill to help lower the cost of prescription drugs is progressing through the House.

The House Health Policy Committee has approved Republican State Representative Hank Vaupel of Fowlerville’s plan to increase drug price transparency in Michigan. Vaupel’s bi-partisan plan requires drug manufacturers to submit information about how their products are priced to the Michigan Department of Information and Financial Services. According to Vaupel, this will provide a necessary level of consumer protection and help policymakers better understand the factors behind increasing prescription costs.

Vaupel said, in a release, that this is as simple as holding everyone within the drug chain accountable and is important, especially now, with many workers unemployed due to the pandemic and many families struggling to afford medications. This could also benefit older residents on fixed incomes that cannot afford to purchase some of their prescriptions due to price increases.

The plan doesn’t specifically place limitations on drug pricing, but Vaupel says it does provide clarity to a very complex and confusing section of our state’s health care industry.

The legislation now moves to be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee.