We Work for Health Virginia

03/09/2026

A Winchester-based medical oncologist who treats Virginians battling cancer says the cost of care is often as stressful for patients and families as the disease itself. While efforts to lower drug prices, including a proposed Prescription Drug Affordability Board, are well intentioned, he warns some policies could unintentionally limit access to care. Read more here:

Virginia can lead on affordability without gambling with access, guest columnist Dr. Richard Ingram writes.

03/05/2026

In case you missed it, WWFH hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill today on Europe’s decline in biomedical innovation over the second half of the 20th century and what it means for U.S. competitiveness.

The discussion explored bipartisan policy solutions to help ensure the United States remains the global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation. Speakers also highlighted the critical steps needed to protect the innovation ecosystem that drives new medicines and the risks to patients, research, and economic leadership if we fail to act.

View the recording here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GE9biq4S2/

02/25/2026

Implementing MFN to reduce drug prices for patients may sound good; however, it risks weakening innovation and U.S. leadership. Thank you U.S. Senator Tim Kaine for championing policies that support affordability for Virginians.
Read more here:

After several years of steady growth, Europe’s drug regulators are once again increasing the pace of recommended medicines for approval. Last year, European authorities recommended 38 new active substances, delivering a second straight year of elevated output. Even so, Europe continues to lag well...

02/23/2026

Today, 42 organizations sent a letter to Congress calling for the elimination of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Established under the Affordable Care Act with a guaranteed $10 billion budget each decade to test cost-saving payment models, CMMI instead lost $5.4 billion from 2011–2020 and is projected to lose another $1.3 billion by 2030.

The coalition urges lawmakers to strengthen efforts to curb waste, fraud, and abuse by ending CMMI and restoring greater accountability to federal healthcare policymaking.

Read the full letter here:

February 23, 2026

02/20/2026

Affordability doesn’t come from government price controls, it comes from expanding supply, restoring competition, and letting markets work. Price caps lead to shortages. Transparency, innovation, and production lead to lower costs and higher wages. Thank you Morgan Griffith for standing up for solutions that increase supply and protect American families. Read more here:

Supporters of price controls often justify them by invoking so-called corporate greed.

02/13/2026

The 340B program is meant to help low-income patients - but has ballooned into an $81B system, with one company reportedly earning 80%+ profit margins. Time for answers. Thank you, Congressman Morgan Griffith for your continued support for 340B reform.

The program was meant to help hospitals provide for poor patients by offering drug savings. But critics say a Texas company has turned it into a big business, driving up costs for patients and insurers.

02/11/2026

PDABs don't help patients save $$ on prescription drugs.

02/11/2026

Europe’s drug approvals are rising, but continues to lag behind the U.S. after years of MFN-style pricing and stringent controls. As Washington debates MFN, Virginians should view Europe as a cautionary example. Read more here:

After several years of steady growth, Europe’s drug regulators are once again increasing the pace of recommended medicines for approval. Last year, European authorities recommended 38 new active substances, delivering a second straight year of elevated output. Even so, Europe continues to lag well...

02/09/2026

Encouraging to see Sen. Tim Kaine and the bipartisan Senate 340B working group signal consensus that 340B should not move from upfront discounts to a rebate model. Now is the time to fix and modernize 340B the right way: protect true safety-net providers, make sure savings reach patients through lower costs, set clear and fair eligibility rules, establish reasonable contract pharmacy standards, rein in middlemen profits, and improve transparency and oversight without creating more red tape.

Members of a bipartisan U.S. Senate 340B working group signaled that their long-awaited bill is unlikely to include 340B rebate provisions, but internal disagreements—including reported disputes tied to politically charged cultural issues—continue to delay its introduction.

01/30/2026

Virginia’s life sciences momentum is real and worth protecting. As the General Assembly considers SB 278, this thoughtful analysis from John Newby with Virginia Biotechnology Association makes a compelling case that expanding the 340B program as-is could raise costs for patients, employers, and taxpayers while undermining Virginia’s biotech competitiveness. Smart health policy should lower costs without driving innovation out of the Commonwealth.

Virginia lawmakers should protect patients and the commonwealth’s positive biotechnology industry momentum by rejecting SB 278 and pursuing policies that meaningfully lower health care costs without driving innovation out of the commonwealth.

01/20/2026

CMS recently announced new healthcare transparency rules, a positive step toward tackling the anti-competitive practices of corporate insurers and their subsidiary PBMs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 29, 2025) – We Work For Health commends the Trump administration for recognizing the substantial role corporate insurers and their integrated subsidiaries play in driving up costs and restricting access to care for American families. The administration's announcement of thei...

01/09/2026