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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Lois Capps will vote to cut the cost of health care and improve access to life saving medications by requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. H.R. 4, the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiations Act, is the fourth piece of legislation considered this week as part of the Democrats ambitious “first 100 hours” legislative agenda.
“This legislation is a much needed first step in fixing the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit,” said Capps. “Requiring Medicare to negotiate a fair price for these life saving prescription drugs will result in lower drug costs for millions of seniors and the disabled and increased access to critical medicines, while saving taxpayer dollars. Reforming Medicare Part D will ensure that this vital program will now work as it was intended – as a hand up for seniors and the disabled rather than a hand out for big pharmaceutical and insurance companies.”
Capps is joined in her support for this much needed reform of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program by colleagues from both sides of the aisle and numerous advocacy organizations including: AARP, National Community Pharmacists Association, Association of Community Pharmacists, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Medicare Rights Center, Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, Families USA, and Consumers Union.
A Copy Of The Congresswoman’s Floor Speech Follows:
Statement of Rep. Lois Capps
HR 4 – Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiations Act
January 12, 2007
Madam Speaker, today we are faced with a clear choice.
We can either vote in favor of large drug companies that have raked in record profits under the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan…Or, we can vote in favor of our senior constituents, many of whom are still struggling to make heads or tails out of Medicare Part D.
Common sense tells me that the big drug and insurance companies wouldn’t be so adamantly opposed to this bill if they didn’t fear that it could result in actual price reductions.
Common sense also tells me that we should take every possible step to lower the costs of prescription drugs and this bill can achieve that.
There is precedent for the Federal Government obtaining good discounts for prescription drugs. Our seniors deserve that. Don’t be fooled into believing that this bill might somehow lead to seniors losing access to important medications. The bill explicitly prohibits the government from establishing formularies.
One of the biggest challenges still facing our seniors is the fact that they must decide in December which plan will offer the cheapest prices for the drugs they will take throughout the year. But the problem is that not everyone is on a drug regimen that lasts from January to January.
Reducing prices across the board will ensure that when a beneficiary’s doctor changes their prescription half way through the year, their new medication will also be available at a lower cost.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on HR 4 and fulfill your promise to serve the best interests of your constituents and not the best interests of profit hungry big business.
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Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.
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