Utah lawmakers are moving to ban “gag clauses” that prohibit pharmacists from telling customers when they could save money by paying cash for prescriptions rather than using their health insurance.
The Senate gave a preliminary nod to SB208 on a 24-0 on Tuesday. A final vote is expected later in the week, before it is sent to the House.
Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, a pharmacist, is sponsoring the bill to try to stop what he says is an occasional abuse that he sees.
Because of clauses in contracts with companies that manage drug benefits, “The pharmacist is precluded from telling the patient that if you just pay cash, you would only have to pay $25 instead of $90” for a prescription drug on occasion.