As Democrats Move to Lower Drug Prices for Seniors, Republicans Are Working Behind the Scenes to Raise Costs and Rip Health Care From Millions
Washington, DC – Yesterday, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Peter Welch (D-VT) reintroduced the Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act. This legislation would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for more drugs more quickly, including by increasing the number of prescription drugs that the Department of Health and Human Services can negotiate on and starting those negotiations sooner after a drug hits the market. It also gives Medicare the authority to negotiate greater discounts on drugs. As a result, seniors will pay less for their prescriptions, and taxpayers will save billions. Early this morning, House Republicans passed their tax bill which rips health care away from millions in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.
“Senators Klobuchar and Welch are fighting for seniors and their families by bringing down the high cost of prescription drugs,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Americans across the political spectrum support Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices and want to see the program expand. Instead, Trump and his cronies in Congress are charging ahead with their budget that not only guts Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to fund billionaire tax breaks, but hands billions in giveaways over to Big Pharma.
“The contrast couldn’t be more clear. If Republicans are serious about wanting to lower drug prices and save taxpayer dollars, they should join Senators Klobuchar and Welch in passing the SMART Prices Act and deliver real, lasting relief for the American people.”