Democrats Pass Sweeping Drug Legislation As Political Salvo Heading Into 2020
The bill itself, which gives Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, is likely dead on arrival in the Senate. But it gives Democrats a talking point for a contentious election year.
The New York Times:
House Votes To Give The Government The Power To Negotiate Drug Prices
The House, delivering on one of Democrats’ central campaign promises, passed ambitious legislation on Thursday to lower the rising cost of prescription drugs by empowering the federal government to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers. The bill, known as H.R. 3 — a numerical designation that reflects its position on Democrats’ priority list — would make significant changes to the federal Medicare program, which provides health coverage to older Americans. It passed largely on party lines, 230 to 192, and includes provisions to create new vision, dental and hearing benefits, and caps out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000. (Stolberg, 12/12)
Reuters:
Democrats Pass U.S. Bill To Lower Drug Prices That Trump Threatens To Veto
"I've seen grown men cry on the campaign trail because they cannot meet the prescription drug cost, whether they have a spouse that is ill or a child with a pre-existing conditions," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told reporters ahead of the vote. "This will make all the difference in the world." The bill would cap prices for the country's most expensive drugs using an international index and impose hefty fines for manufacturers that do not negotiate. (Lambert, 12/12)
The Washington Post:
House Democrats Pass Broad Prescription Drug Price Bill As Election Marker
It is also a marker for how Democrats would address rising prescription drug prices if they were to gain control of the White House and Congress. In addition, Democrats are seeking to highlight Trump’s failure to deliver on his 2016 campaign promise to allow Medicare to “negotiate like crazy.” The Democrats’ effort, which became broader as it made its way through committees, has spooked the pharmaceutical industry, which is vehemently opposed to the legislation and has said it would stifle innovation. (Abutaleb, 12/12)
Politico:
House Passes Bill Requiring Drug Price Negotiations
[The bill] would mandate that the government negotiate the price of at least 25 Medicare Part D drugs annually, ultimately requiring federal officials to hammer out the cost of at least 50 medicines a year. Commercial insurers could also take advantage of the deals. A separate set of provisions would limit drug manufacturers’ ability to annually hike prices in Medicare, forcing them to rebate the portion of the increase that is above the rate of inflation. The bill envisions eventually expanding that requirement to the private sector under language that progressives led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal secured in negotiations with Pelosi just 48 hours ahead of the vote. (Cancryn and Owermohle, 12/12)
NPR:
Nancy Pelosi's Prescription Drug Price Plan To Get A Vote
Right now, there's no limit for how much seniors and others on Medicare spend on drugs out of pocket — unlike in most insurance plans. This bill would set a limit for Medicare patients at $2,000 a year. It's not just seniors who get a break here. Right now, after enrollees have spent several thousand dollars on drugs, they're on the hook for 5% of ongoing costs, their prescription drug plan pays 15% and Medicare pays 80% — drug companies don't pay any part of it. Under the bill, that splitting gets changed around: Patients pay nothing after they hit the new cap, drug companies pay 30% and Medicare and health plans pick up the rest. (Simmons-Duffin, 12/12)
The Wall Street Journal:
House Passes Bill To Reduce Drug Prices
Some Republicans and pharmaceutical lobbying groups have said the plan would discourage investment in research on new cures and treatments. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry’s primary lobbying group. has said it would siphon $1 trillion or more from biopharmaceutical innovation over 10 years, leading to fewer drugs. Mrs. Pelosi pushed her legislation through despite initial objections from progressive members who said the bill wasn’t aggressive enough and didn’t open enough drugs in Medicare to negotiation. (Armour, 12/12)
Stat:
House Passes Major Drug-Pricing Bill, A Democratic Salvo In A Showdown Far From Over
House Democrats on Thursday passed sweeping legislation to lower prescription drug prices, marking the latest volley in a health care debate that has animated progressives, Republican lawmakers, pharmaceutical industry groups, and the Trump administration throughout the year. With the GOP-majority Senate certain to ignore Democrats’ bill, however, the high-stakes showdown over drug prices is far from over. (Facher, 12/12)
KQED:
Forget Impeachment — Democrats Want Voters To Focus On Bill To Lower Drug Costs
Even as the House Judiciary Committee was debating changes to the two articles of impeachment the full House could soon vote on, Democrats from swing districts want their constituents to think about something else: prescription drugs. Minutes after the House passed a bill by Speaker Nancy Pelosi along party lines aimed at reducing prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients — a bill probably destined to die in the Republican-controlled Senate — the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) unveiled digital ads they intend to run in districts they flipped from red to blue in the 2018 election. (Shafer, 12/12)
Modern Healthcare:
House Passes Democrats' Government Drug-Price Negotiation Bill
"With today's vote, the House prioritized politics at the expense of innovation, American jobs and hope for patients. The bill is unprecedented in size and scope and just one part of the legislation would reduce revenue to the biopharmaceutical industry by $1 trillion," said Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spokesperson Holly Campbell.
But the excise tax enabled the Congressional Budget Office to estimate that the price negotiation mechanism would save the federal government $456 billion over the next 10 years. (Cohrs, 12/12)
The CT Mirror:
CT Lawmakers Hail U.S. House Approval Of Prescription Drug Bill
The U.S. House on Friday approved an ambitious bill that would dramatically lower the cost of popular drugs, like insulin and other commonly prescribed medications, for Medicare patients and other Americans. All Connecticut House members voted for the bill, and three of them — Reps. John Larson, D-1st District, Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and Jahana Hayes, D-5th District — were original co-sponsors. (Radelat, 12/12)
