Kuster calls for action from Congress to lower cost of prescription drugs in Energy & Commerce Hearing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, participated in a Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Negotiating a Better Deal: Legislation to Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs.” During the hearing, the Members heard from medical and legal experts about the state of drug prices in the United States and ongoing efforts to lower costs for Americans.
“For too long, Americans have been grappling with the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs,” said Rep. Kuster. “The status quo is unacceptable — Congress must take action to ensure no American has to choose between the prescription medications they need and necessities like food or rent. Amending this fractured system to empower Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, a policy that has broad support amongst the American people and is included in the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, would accomplish this goal and generate billions in savings.”
“Legislative solutions to fix how drugs and medications are priced should be a nonpartisan issue,” Rep. Kuster continued. “Regardless of party affiliation or where you live, Americans in every corner of our country are seeing more of their hard-earned dollars go towards life-saving treatments and the prescription drugs they need. That is why I partnered with my colleague Rep. David McKinley to introduce the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act to create billions in savings for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. I look forward to working across the aisle on the Energy and Commerce Committee to advance this beneficial legislation and lower prescription drug costs for Americans in the Granite State and across the country.”
Kuster is a vocal advocate for Granite State seniors in Congress. Last week, she helped reintroduce her legislation, the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require PDP sponsors of a prescription drug plan under part D of the Medicare program that use a formulary to include certain generic drugs and biosimilar biological products. Earlier this year, Kuster worked to get key provisions to support seniors as we recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic included in the American Rescue Plan.