State Rep. Sarah Lightner today voted for a plan to reduce the cost of health care while making services more accessible to people in Michigan.

Lightner, of Springport, said the plan focuses on three main goals: Lowering the cost of prescription medicine, increasing access to services and providing a higher standard of care.

“The cost of life-saving medicine has skyrocketed over the last 10 years. Something clearly has to change,” Lightner said. “We’re taking action to make drugs more affordable, so no one has to choose between putting food on the table and paying their bills or picking up the medicine they need from the pharmacy.”

The plan approved today would rein in the unregulated prescription middlemen who manipulate drug prices and hold drug companies accountable to patients by requiring them to be more transparent about the way their drugs are priced.

The comprehensive plan also includes solutions to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin, ensure access to oral chemotherapy, expand telemedicine services, place strong limits on drug manufacturers giving gifts to physicians, and end gag clauses that prevent pharmacists from sharing cost-saving information with their customers. A full list of the reforms included in the plan is available here.

The bipartisan plan, House Bills 4346-59, now advances to the Senate for further consideration.