• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Donate Now
  • Sign Up

Center for Medicare Advocacy

Advancing Access to Medicare and Healthcare

  • Eligibility/Enrollment
  • Coverage/Appeals
    • Medicare Costs (2020 & 2021)
    • Self Help Materials – Toolkits & More
  • Topics
    • Basic Introduction to Medicare
    • COVID-19 and Medicare
    • Medicare Costs (2020 & 2021)
    • Home Health Care
    • Improvement Standard and Jimmo News
    • Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility Care
    • Outpatient Observation Status
    • Part B
    • Part D / Prescription Drug Benefits
    • Medicare for People Under 65
    • Medicare “Reform”
    • All Other Topics
    • Resources
      • Infographics
  • Publications
    • CMA Alerts
    • Fact Sheets & Issue Briefs
    • Infographics
    • The Medicare Handbook
    • SNF Enforcement Newsletter
    • Elder Justice Newsletter
    • Medicare Facts & Fiction
    • Articles by Topic
  • Litigation
    • Litigation News
    • Cases
    • Litigation Archive
    • Amicus Curiae Activities
  • Newsroom
    • Press Releases
    • Editorials & Letters to the Editor
    • CMA Comments, Responses, and Letters
    • Medicare Facts & Fiction
    • CMA in the News
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • CMA FAQs
    • Personnel & Boards
    • The Center for Medicare Advocacy Founder’s Circle
    • Connecticut Dually Eligible Appeals Project
    • Ossen Medicare Outreach, Education and Advocacy Project
    • National Medicare Advocates Alliance
    • National Voices of Medicare Summit
    • CMA Webinars
    • Products & Services
    • Testimonials
    • Career, Fellowship & Internship Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • Support Our Work
    • Donate Now
    • Join the Center for Medicare Advocacy Founder’s Circle
    • Take Action
    • Share Your Health Care Story
    • Tell Congress to Protect Our Care
    • Listen to Medicare & Health Care Stories
    • Sign Up

Speaker Pelosi Unveils Bill Authorizing Negotiation of Drug Prices and Capping Out-of-Pocket Costs

September 26, 2019

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

On September 19, 2019, Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce, introduced the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3). As noted in The New York Times, the bill addresses the problem of skyrocketing prescription drugs costs. In a press release, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that “[t]he soaring price of prescription drugs is crushing Americans at the pharmacy counter, driving up health insurance premiums, and creating unaffordable costs for taxpayers who finance Medicare and Medicaid.”

The Lower Drug Costs Now Act gives the Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services the authority to negotiate the costs of 250 drugs every year. According to a fact sheet on Speaker Pelosi’s website, these drugs will be drawn from a list of the most costly drugs in the U.S. “without competition from at least one generic or biosimilar on the market.” The fact sheet notes that “[i]n the first year alone, drugs representing more than half of all Medicare Part D spending, covering tens of millions of patients, would be subject to the negotiation process – including insulin.” The negotiated prices would also be available to all purchasers – not just Medicare beneficiaries.

The Act would also make improvements to beneficiary cost sharing, and cap out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries at $2,000. In addition, if sufficient savings are generated, the funds could be reinvested in the Medicare program, potentially expanding coverage in areas historically lacking, such as vision, hearing and dental.

The Center for Medicare Advocacy has called for drug price negotiations since the creation of Medicare Part D. Lawmakers should embrace this opportunity for savings, and redirect these dollars back into health care, including additional dental, vision, hearing and home-based benefits, and protections for low-income beneficiaries.

  • To learn more about the bill, please visit: https://www.speaker.gov/sites/speaker.house.gov/files/HR3%20Lower%20Drug%20Costs%20Now%20Act%20Backgrounder%209.23.19.pdf.

Filed Under: Article Tagged With: alert, Medicare Part D / Prescription Drugs, Weekly Alert

Primary Sidebar

Easy Access to Understanding Medicare

The Center for Medicare Advocacy produces a range of informative materials on Medicare-related topics. Check them out:

  • Medicare Basics
  • CMA Alerts
  • CMA Webinars
  • Connecticut Info & Projects
  • Health Care Stories
  • Se habla Español

Sign Up for CMA Alerts

Jimmo v. Sebelius

Medicare covers skilled care to maintain or slow decline as well as to improve.

Improvement Isn’t Required. It’s the law!

Read more.

Latest Tweets

  • Our statement with @CANHR_CA and the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative recommends key issues of the Nursing Home Re… https://t.co/9nSwt3tAwT, Jan 15
@CMAorg

Footer

Stay Connected:

  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Products & Services
  • Copyright/Privacy

© 2021 · Center for Medicare Advocacy