States’ Key Role in the Fight for Lower Drug Prices
By ALDP Co-Founders Michael Glassner and Jason Young
January 2, 2026
Every New Year brings renewed hope. For millions of Americans, it also brings a harsh reminder: high drug prices.
Jan. 1 is when deductibles reset. When people who recently lost full-time or seasonal jobs suddenly find themselves uninsured. A new year means a fresh start, but it can also feel very much like winter: the cold hard choice between rent, food, and medicine.
We founded Americans for Lower Drug Prices because of our personal experiences and our belief that there are solutions. And as we enter 2026, we want to share why our work focuses on the state level – and why this moment offers unprecedented opportunity.
In our first blog post, we wrote on Jason’s journey to co-founding ALDP. Today, Michael writes on his:
“I grew up in rural Kansas, where the nearest hospital was miles away and health providers were few and far between. When a hospital or a pharmacy closed, it wasn’t just an inconvenience, but a crisis.
“Over my work on seven presidential campaigns, I’ve traveled to every corner of this country and met wonderful, hardworking people. Republican or Democrat, young or old, urban or rural – so many voters asked the same question for decades: ‘Why do my medications cost so much?’
“Everyone’s story is different, but there’s a common thread: a person or someone in their family needs a drug, but it feels out of reach because drug manufacturers are charging monopoly prices with no accountability.”
Why States? Why Now?
We’re encouraged by federal momentum. President Trump is pioneering new approaches, like TrumpRx, which will launch shortly. A program created under President Biden, Medicare’s new ability to negotiate drug prices took effect just yesterday – Jan. 1, 2026. Lower negotiated prices are now active for the first 10 drugs, providing significant savings for seniors, but more will come in 2027 and beyond.
Even in polarized times, there’s strong bipartisan agreement that drug prices are too high. That’s progress.
But states don’t have to wait for Washington
Eleven states have established Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs). Four states can already set Upper Payment Limits—actual caps on what purchasers in a state will have to pay for a drug. Colorado voted for its first limit in 2024, targeting the arthritis drug Enbrel after its 1,582% price increase.
When Virginia’s General Assembly voted on PDAB legislation in 2024, it passed with Republican support in both chambers. The state’s new governor takes office Jan. 17, and she said she’ll sign drug price accountability into law.
As founders of ALDP, it is intentional that one of us is a Republican, and one of us is a Democrat, because high drug prices is a nonpartisan issue that affects everyone. Manufacturers charging monopoly prices hurts everyone, including the free market. States have the responsibility and constitutional authority to hold drug companies accountable for the price they set for medicine.
Learn more about PDABs and see your state’s status
2026: A Chance to Act
Here’s what makes this year different: 2026 is an election year.
State legislators across the country are meeting with and listening to voters. Drug affordability is a political layup. Seven out of eight Americans – across every political stripe – say drug costs are too high. It’s one of the few issues with overwhelming bipartisan public support.
Housing costs are complex. Food prices are global. But drug affordability? States can act right now with proven policy that delivers concrete results.
For any state lawmaker wanting to show they’re addressing the high cost of living, establishing a PDAB is timely, meaningful action on a top voter concern.
Voters are asking: “Why does my medicine cost so much?” A PDAB provides an answer – and a careful, transparent process to deliver a solution. It’s a solution not only for patients, but for taxpayers, employers in the state, and the state budget itself.
The New Year’s Reminder
At ALDP, we are particularly concerned about people who are uninsured or underinsured. On January 1st, millions of Americans in high-deductible plans awoke to reset deductibles, and they will pay full price – or close to it – for their medications until they meet those deductibles.
Here’s what they’re facing:
- Ozempic: $1,000/month in the U.S. (but only $92 in Germany)
- Eliquis: $1,800 for 90 days in the U.S. (but only $225 in Canada)
- Enbrel: 1,582% price increase since FDA approval
These aren’t market prices. They’re monopoly prices. And states have the constitutional authority to hold manufacturers accountable.
Our Commitment
Forty-six state legislatures convene this year – 38 of them start this month.
These are the places we are going to fight hard for Prescription Drug Affordability Boards and other commonsense measures to bring people relief. Veterans, seniors, people living in rural communities, people with disabilities, and Americans who are either uninsured or underinsured are most in need of relief. We can’t do it alone, and we need your help. Look up whether your state has a PDAB and contact your lawmakers today.
Michael grew up in rural Kansas where a hospital or pharmacy closure meant a real crisis for a community. And Jason watched a friend decline a needed medication because of its $1,000+ price tag. We both believe Americans deserve better.
States can fix this. In 2026, we’re going to help them do it.