We Work for Health Virginia

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We Work for Health Virginia

A grassroots initiative to unite health consumers, business, academic and community partners and bio

We Work for Health is a grassroots initiative that unites health consumers, business, academic and community partners, biopharmaceutical company employees and retirees, vendors, suppliers, and others to demonstrate how these diverse groups work together to improve Virginia’s health care system and strengthen our economy.

04/02/2026

Virginia leaders are right to focus on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, but the so-called “Affordable Medicine Act” may do more harm than good.

By importing federal price caps into state-regulated plans, this legislation risks limiting access to medications. Especially in rural communities where pharmacies are already struggling to stay open.

This approach could send the wrong signal to Virginia’s growing biotech sector, putting jobs, innovation, and future investment at risk.

We all share the goal of making medicine more affordable. Sustainable solutions start with transparency and addressing the real drivers of cost. Read more here:

Virginia’s so‑called Affordable Medicine Act, which would impose government‑mandated drug price caps tied to federal rules, threatens patient access to medications, rural pharmacies and the state’s growing biotech economy while

03/26/2026

Congressman Morgan Griffith gets it.

The 340B drug pricing program was built to help safety net providers serve low-income and vulnerable patients — a worthy mission. But as Rep. Griffith recently put it, the program "has become opaque, and a few hospitals have gone against the true intent of that good program."

He's right. When visibility into how discounts are used disappears, patients pay the price — literally. As Griffith noted, Americans are left "navigating complex and often expensive medical bills... bills that they did not anticipate, cannot easily afford, and sometimes only learn about weeks or months after receiving care."

Reform isn't about attacking 340B. It's about restoring the program's original purpose: getting savings to the patients who need them most. Glad to see leaders like Rep. Griffith willing to say so out loud.

The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.

03/19/2026

U.S.–Japan trade talks are a chance to fix a major imbalance:

Japan benefits from American medical innovation while keeping drug prices artificially low, shifting costs to U.S. patients & slowing R&D.

Trade policy should ensure allies pay their fair share to support future breakthroughs. Read more here:

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will arrive in Washington this week to meet with President Trump for trade discussions most policymakers anticipate will further bolster our two nations’ h

03/11/2026

Virginia is lucky to have U.S. Senator Tim Kaine working diligently on a federal fix for this federal program. Transparency and accountability will make this a true safety net program, just as it was intended!

Virginia hospitals are exploiting the 340B drug discount program to boost profits instead of helping low‑income patients as intended.

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.

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

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:

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.

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Richmond, VA

Website

https://www.weworkforhealth.org/in_our_states/virginia

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