U.S. Rep Annie Kuster

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the prominent Energy and Commerce Committee, participated in a Health Subcommittee hearing, “Examining Policies to Improve Seniors’s Access to Innovative Drugs, Medical Devices, and Technologies.” During her remarks, Kuster highlighted Medicare’s role in ensuring New Hampshire seniors have access to innovative treatments and medications and her work to lower health care costs for seniors. Her Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act, which eliminated out-of-pocket costs for immunizations covered under Medicare Part D, was included in the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Medicare plays a critical role in ensuring New Hampshire seniors have access to the drugs, devices, and technologies they need to thrive, but rising costs at the doctor’s office and the pharmacy counter are barriers to care for too many families,” said Kuster. “We know that increasing the use of generic drugs can not only save our health care system money but also help lower costs for patients and ensure families can afford the medication they need–a win-win. I remain committed to working with my colleagues across the aisle to lower prescription drug costs and deliver savings to Granite State seniors.”

Kuster is a leading advocate for strengthening our health care system and expanding access to innovative health care treatments, technologies, and medicines. She recently introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to generic and biosimilar drugs, the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medications for Seniors Act and the Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act:

Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act: requires Medicare Part D insurers to include generic and biosimilar drugs in their formularies and prohibits limitations on formulary access through utilization management such as step therapy and prior authorization.

Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act: requires sponsors of drug applications and holders of approved applications to communicate with the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, lowering prescription drug costs by closing oversight gaps that drug manufacturers take advantage of.

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