Montgomery County Commends Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board for Progress Toward Setting Upper Payment Limits on Two Widely Prescribed Medications

For Immediate Release: Monday, September 29, 2025

Montgomery County is one of four jurisdictions lending support to the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) and thanking it for moving toward setting upper payment limits for state and local governments for two widely prescribed medications. Jardiance (heart medication) and Farxiga (type 2 diabetes, kidney) both pose affordability challenges for Marylanders.

"I commend the PDAB for its' historic work towards reigning in ever-increasing drug costs because every dollar saved on high-priced drugs is a dollar that can be used to fund critical services and ease the burden on taxpayers," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich."Today's action will also result in significant cost savings on the government side, allowing us to prioritize spending on providing much-needed public services rather than inflated health care costs."

Elrich joined Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, Charles County Commissioner President Reuben Collins, and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball in testifying before the PDAB on Monday to commend its progress and urge it to move forward with establishing upper payment limits for the two medications beginning in 2026.

"The Maryland Health Care for All! coalition greatly appreciates the actions of the PDAB and its tireless work toward bringing down the cost of drugs for local and state governments," said Vincent DeMarco, president of Maryland Healthcare for All! "We urge the Board to quickly proceed with setting upper payment limits on these two medicines, to grant governments some much-needed relief so they can rightly re-focus their resources on providing public services. We're grateful also to the local leaders who stood up to urge the Board to take this action, and for appearing in our ad campaign to raise awareness around the Board's efforts to make prescription medicine affordable for all Marylanders."

Currently, the Board has the authority to cap the costs of drugs purchased by state and local governments. Legislation passed earlier this year gives the PDAB the ability to set upper payment limits on private plans beginning in 2026, which will bring down drug costs for all Marylanders.

"I'm grateful that the Maryland PDAB continues to lead in the effort to make prescription medications affordable," said Pittman, the county executive of Anne Arundel County. "Setting upper payment limits for these two medications will be a great first step toward containing the spiraling health care costs that are crippling state and local governments and impeding our ability to offer comprehensive health care coverage to our hard-working civil servants."

Maryland led the nation in 2019 by creating the first board with the authority to put upper payment limits on high-cost drugs, encouraging other states to follow suit.

"We're pleased that the PDAB is focusing on setting upper payment limits for these two medications and their soaring costs," said Scott, mayor of Baltimore. "Too many cities and counties are being bled dry by the reckless price increases from the pharmaceutical industry. I urge the Board to pass upper payment limits on these medications, so that governments can better manage precious taxpayer dollars."

Three other states - Colorado, Minnesota, and Washington-have since created similar boards with upper-payment limit authority.

County Executive Elrich will join the other local leaders who testified Monday in a digital ad campaign launched by the Maryland Health Care for All! coalition. The campaign is designed to build public awareness of the work of the PDAB and urge support for its efforts toward bringing down drug costs for all Marylanders.

"The work of the PDAB will be a huge boon to state and local governments that are grappling with sky-high drug costs," said Ball, county executive of Howard County. "I urge the board to take action to set upper payment limits for these two life-saving medications. Because no worker should be forced to choose between their medicine and necessities like rent and groceries."

# # #