Minnesota families are finding their budgets stretched thin due to the rising cost of prescription drugs. Senate Republicans have heard the outcry and have planned a series of listening sessions around the state with the Health and Human Services Committee and local members. The meetings will offer constituents an opportunity to tell their own stories, as well as learn more about two options being considered that would grant Minnesotans access to more affordable Canadian prescription drugs.

“Minnesotans across the state continue to struggle with the cost of healthcare and lack of affordable prescription drugs,” said Senator Hall (R-Burnsville). “These listening sessions offer us an opportunity to hear from local residents, learn from their experiences, and present new ideas that will make care more affordable and accessible to the people of this state.”

The first of the five listening sessions will take place in Senator Hall’s district on October 21 in Burnsville, with additional stops planned in Plymouth, Bemidji, St. Cloud, and New Prague.

The federal government has recently offered latitude to states looking to obtain cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance for prescription drug reimportation programs, which focused on two possible pathways for states to consider. Florida, Vermont, Colorado, and Maine have already passed importation laws, and numerous other states are looking at proposals or have introduced their own bills.

The full schedule of listening sessions is as follows:

Burnsville
October 21, 2019
Burnsville City Hall
2:00 p.m.