Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, a coalition of progressive grassroots and policy organizations sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) regarding efforts in Congress to lower prescription drug prices for the American people. The letter urges House leadership to develop and pass bold, comprehensive reforms that would lower drug prices for all Americans, regardless of whether they are covered by Medicare, private insurance, or Medicaid.
The letter insightfully points out that reform for all payers would be consistent with House’s efforts to lower health insurance premiums, given that drug costs are a primary driver of premium hikes.
“Although Medicare negotiation is a much-needed reform, by itself it is not a solution to lower drug prices for most Americans. The American people sent this Congress to Washington to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, and that’s why the House should take bold action to lower inordinately high launch prices for new drugs and prevent price gouging on existing drugs,” said Topher Spiro, vice president of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress.
Signatories of the letter include the Center for American Progress, MoveOn, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Indivisible, Families USA, Social Security Works, Public Citizen, Knowledge Ecology International, Consumer Action, Doctors for America, Coalition to Protect Patient Choice, Health Care Voter, Just Care USA, Prescription Justice, and End AIDS Now.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202.741.6292.