Send PDAB Bill (SB271) to Joint Commission on Healthcare to Study Impact

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When you are dealing with people's lives, it usually makes sense to have all the facts before you act. Unfortunately, Virginia legislators may go down a roadway that other states have already proven is littered with disastrous consequences. We all get it. Organizations with very deep pockets are pushing a narrative that on its face sounds great – lower patient prescription drug costs. PDABs as the story goes are the savior for people dealing with high prescription drug costs. Unfortunately, the story is a fairy tale and before Virginia makes the same mistakes other states have already made, RAAP is asking for a simple favor – study the bill's impact on patients before voting on it.

Michael Eging, Executive Director of RAAP, stated, "While intentions are good, PDAB and setting a UPL is not the answer to help patients. We strongly encourage the members of the Senate Education and Health Committee to send SB271 to the Joint Commission on Healthcare to study the potential impacts. Why push a policy we have seen fail in other states without first studying its potential impact on Virginia's patients?"

RAAP encourages Virginia legislators to take a moment and study the very real negative consequences that PDABs bring with them. RAAP strongly recommends the following:

• RAAP urges the legislature and Governor Spanberger to pause efforts to pass a PDAB bill, given the concerns and the problems other states have now encountered.
• RAAP strongly urges the legislature to send the PDAB bill to the Joint Commission on Healthcare to study how it would lower out-of-pocket costs and protect patients from identified access issues.

Eging concluded, "We encourage legislators and Governor Spanberger to do the right thing and pause this effort to study and determine effective solutions that can lower patient prescription drug costs, without causing access issues. Do the right thing by patients who desperately need a solution to high prescription drug costs. Don't rush to judgement. Let's get this right."

RAAP's paper, "Solving for Access and Affordability: PDABs are not the Answer," can be found at https://www.rareaccessactionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RAAP-PDABs-Arent-Solving-for-Access-and-Affordability-July-202566.pdf

RAAP, the Rare Access Action Project, is a coalition of patient and life sciences stakeholders that explore creative policy solutions to address structural issues in access and coverage. Our priority is to help ensure rare disease patients have access to the care and treatments they need. 

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SOURCE Rare Access Action Project (RAAP)