Democrats’ Drug-Pricing Negotiation Bill Running Into Hurdles
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN's Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Politico:
Pelosi Drug Price Plan Threatened By Centrist Defections
House Democrats’ push to tack a sweeping drug price negotiation bill to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package was always going to face a fight in the evenly divided Senate. But the legislation is also hitting troubled waters in the House. At least 10 caucus moderates are signaling opposition to Democrats’ drug pricing negotiation bill — more than enough to potentially force House Speaker Nancy Pelosi into dropping the reforms from infrastructure legislation Democrats hope to pass along party lines. Pelosi can only spare two Democratic defections on partisan legislation because of the party’s slim House majority. (Ollstein and Luthi, 5/11)
Stat:
Key House Democrats Demand A ‘Bipartisan’ Drug Pricing Bill
A group of 10 moderate Democrats is urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pursue drug pricing reform that is “bipartisan” and has “bicameral support, with buy-in from a majority of Americans and stakeholders in the public and private sectors,” according to a copy of a May 3 letter obtained by STAT. Pharmaceutical industry lobbyists say the letter, which was spearheaded by Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) calls into question whether Pelosi has the votes to pass her signature drug pricing bill, H.R. 3. That bill would let Medicare negotiate over drug prices and threaten huge fines for drug companies that don’t comply. (Florko, 5/11)
Fox News:
Pro-GOP Group 'Doubles Down' On New Campaign Targeting Pelosi's 'Radical' Drug Plan
A conservative advocacy group that backs Republican causes is expanding a major ad blitz in dozens of congressional districts controlled by House Democrats that targets House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "radical plan" to lower prescription drug prices through government regulation. The American Action Network (AAN) on Monday is announcing that it’s adding another $1 million to an existing $4 million ad campaign that it launched last week in 40 congressional districts represented by Democrats. And it's going up with ads in another five districts, bringing to 45 the number of districts targeted. (Steinhauser, 5/10)
Also —
Fast Company:
Can We Lower Drug Prices Without Sacrificing Innovation?
Congress is again attempting to control the overwhelming cost of drugs in the United States. Last week, government committees revived conversations about House Resolution 3 (H.R.3)—a bill that, if enacted, would give Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices, cap out-of-pocket spending on medications, and fine drug manufacturers for increasing drug prices faster than the rate of inflation. The main argument against the bill is that it will curb drug industry profits, therefore limiting the industry’s ability to invest money in what it does best: innovating. So do Americans have to sacrifice innovation to get cheaper drugs? (Reader, 5/11)
The Hill:
Health Care And Prescription Drug Costs Top Voter Concerns In New Poll
Americans say lowering prescription drug prices and other health care costs should be at the top of lawmakers' to-do list, according to a new survey. In the Morning Consult-Politico poll, 88 percent of Americans said that Congress should make lowering health care costs a priority, including 59 percent who said it should be a top legislative priority. Eighty-five percent said lawmakers should prioritize passing a bill to bring down prescription drug costs, with 50 percent saying it should be a top priority. (Bowden, 5/5)
Healthline:
Out-Of-Pocket Costs, Prescription Drug Prices Hikes
People in the United States end up paying more for prescription drugs over time due to rising list prices, according to new research. In a paperTrusted Source published this month in JAMA Network Open, a team of researchers led by Dr. Benjamin Rome, an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, reported that the list price of 79 brand-name drugs rose by more than 16 percent while average out-of-pocket costs went up by more than 3 percent from 2015 to 2017. (Gray, 5/9)
WTOL:
Ohioans Advocating For Congress To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
During a virtual webinar held Thursday morning, Ohio leaders said their hands are tied at the state level, which is why they're calling on Congress to pass a bill to reduce drug prices for Ohioans and all Americans by giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drugs costs. "We know from polling that 1 in 4 Americans have trouble affording their medications. We also know already that 1 in 10 Americans are regularly rationing their drugs," said Ohio Rep. Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington. (Cohen, 5/7)
CNBC:
Cost And Accessibility Of Mental Health Care In America
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans has some type of mental health condition. Spending on mental health treatment and services reached $225 billion in 2019, according to an Open Minds Market Intelligence Report. That number, which is up 52% since 2009, includes spending on things like therapy and prescription medications as well as stays in psychiatric or substance abuse rehabilitation facilities. (Leonhardt, 5/10)
