Vermont U.S. Rep. Peter Welch is praising the state legislature and Gov. Peter Shumlin for creating a new prescription drug price transparency law.
Welch's reaction came after Shumlin on Friday signed a bill that calls on state regulators to create a list of drugs whose prices are rising fastest, and for drug manufacturers to send reports explaining the spiraling costs to the attorney general's office.
Welch traveled to Montpelier earlier this winter to urge lawmakers to pass the bill. He said Congress has been stalling on the issue, leaving a vacuum that states should step in to fill.
A leading pharmaceutical industry group says the legislation is misguided and said many of the drugs save health care costs by enabling patients to avoid more expensive procedures.
