H1203 • 2025

An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5223
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses

An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1203) of Bradley H.
Jones, Jr., and others relative to contracts for pharmacy services between health insurance carriers or pharmacy benefits' managers and pharmacies or pharmacists.
Financial Services.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-12 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5223
2025-10-01 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 10/01/2025 from 10:30 AM-11:20 PM in B-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-10-01 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 10/01/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in B-1
2025-09-29 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 10/01/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in B-1 and Virtual Hearing location changed
2025-09-25 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 10/01/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing location changed
2025-09-19 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 10/01/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in B-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Financial Services
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to pharmaceutical gag clauses
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1203) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others relative to contracts for pharmacy services between health insurance carriers or pharmacy benefits' managers and pharmacies or pharmacists. Financial Services.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.1203

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no contract for pharmacy services between a health insurance carrier or pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy or pharmacist shall contain a provision prohibiting or penalizing a pharmacist’s disclosure to an insured individual purchasing a covered prescription medication of information regarding (i) the cost of the prescription medication to the individual, and (ii) the availability of any equivalent medication or alternative methods of purchasing the prescription medication, including, but not limited to, paying a cash price, which may be less expensive than the cost of the prescription medication to the individual.

SECTION 2. No health insurance carrier or pharmacy benefits manager shall require an individual to make a payment at the point of sale for a covered prescription medication in an amount greater than the amount an individual would pay for the prescription medication if the individual purchased the prescription medication without using a health insurance plan.

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