…Any person or entity registered to prescribe, manufacture, distribute, dispense or provide services related to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) shall not charge more than $5,000 per MDMA treatment service unit.
This is the language used in bill HD2137, filed by Massachusetts State Representative. Nick Boldyga, a Republican, has proposed a bill that would not only re-schedule MDMA automatically upon FDA approval but cap the cost of treatment at $5,000.
The bill is at its earliest stage and has a ways to go, but it’s a sign that legislators (and a Republican at that) are taking the future of psychedelic medicine access seriously.
As for cost concerns, according to several estimates and this piece in the Washington Post, the initial roll-out of MAPS’ MDMA therapy could reach $15,000.
If and when the FDA approves MDMA used for PTSD, it will not be widely available; it will be an option only for people with a formal clinical diagnosis of PTSD. It will also be incredibly expensive: Estimates range from $13,000 to $15,000 per treatment round, and it’s not clear what might be covered by health insurance.
With PTSD affecting people across all demographics, and with groups like veterans suffering disproportionately and not always having access to resources — questions of costs will be important. Will the VA (Veterans Administration) cover MDMA therapy? Will regular insurance?
While legal price-capping might not be the ultimate solution (remember MAPS is a non-profit) the conversation on cost and access is an important one to have.
