State Lawmaker Proposes Taxing Opioids To Help Curb Abuse
If passed, California would become the first in the country to tax prescription opioids. Connecticut, Minnesota and Pennsylvania have tried to pass similar measures.
Modern Healthcare:
California Considers Taxing Prescription Opioids
California is looking to impose a surcharge on prescription opioids to fund treatment for addicts. The move in such a large state could have a ripple effect through the rest of the country dealing with spiking rates of overdoses. The proposed measure introduced Wednesday by California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, of Sacramento, would place a one-cent-per-milligram tax on prescription opioids. Prescription opioid wholesalers would be responsible for paying the tax, but it is likely those charges would fall onto the shoulders of insurers and consumers. (Johnson, 3/3)