NEW DATA: The Affordable Medicine Act Could Save Virginians Nearly $100 Million Annually

Freedom Virginia released new data on May 7, 2026 that shows how much Virginians could save under the Affordable Medicine Act, SB271, patroned by Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) and HB483, patroned by Delegate Karrie Delaney (D-Fairfax). The data estimates that if Governor Abigail Spanberger signs the bill on her desk, Virginians could save about $95 million a year under the legislation, specifically on reduced out-of-pocket costs and premiums.

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The visualization follows an April report from the Minnesota State Department of Health that estimated around $100 million in savings if the state extended federally negotiated Medicare Maximum Fair Prices (MFPs) for high-cost prescription drugs to those not enrolled in Medicare.

The Affordable Medicine Act could begin saving hundreds of thousands of Virginians millions of dollars on January 1, 2027. The legislation models its first-in-the-nation approach on the federal Medicare-negotiated prices that are already in effect and have been adopted – and expanded– by both the Biden and Trump administrations. The Act uses existing state authority to draw down the negotiated Maximum Fair Prices to hundreds of thousands of Virginians, maximizing efficiency and minimizing fiscal impact to the Commonwealth.

The data also shows the estimated annual savings for the first 25 drug costs that the Affordable Medicine Act would lower, based on their Medicare MFP. Spending on life-saving and sustaining drugs that treat illnesses like diabetes, COPD, blood disorders, and heart failure would go down by millions:

• Diabetes medications Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy would see an estimated combined annual reduction of $42 million;
• COPD and asthma medication Trelegy Ellipta would see an estimated annual reduction of $8 million;
• Blood clot disorder medication Eliquis would see an estimated annual reduction of $7 million;
• Heart failure medication Entresto would see an estimated annual reduction of $2 million.

Governor Spanberger has until May 22 to take final action on the Affordable Medicine Act.