For Immediate Release: September 19, 2019
Contact: Morgan Grogan, 202-836-9890, morgan.grogan@
Democrats’ New Drug Plan Lowers Prices Through Negotiations, Holds Big Pharma Accountable
Washington, DC – In response to Democratic Leaders’ release of H.R. 3, a comprehensive proposal to lower drug prices for families struggling with the high cost of prescription medicines, Health Care for America Now Executive Director Margarida Jorge released the following statement in response:
“After almost three years of President Trump’s promises to lower drug costs with no results, there is finally a plan to make a real difference for the Americans that need prescription medicines from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders. The proposal demonstrates that Democrats are ready to take on Big Pharma and take meaningful action to stop the industry’s rampant price-gouging.
“For decades, Big Pharma has gotten away with exploiting millions of patients across the country with little to no consequence. Drug corporations have raked in record profits while patients are forced to ration their doses, incur debt to get prescriptions or go without life-saving medicines. Many Americans have been forced to choose between paying for the medication they need to stay or get healthy and other basic necessities like paying the bills on time and putting food on the table.
“The Democrats’ new bill will lower prices by finally requiring drug corporations to negotiate fair prices for some of the most commonly prescribed medicines. The proposal takes steps to hold Big Pharma companies accountable for following new rules that prohibit them from charging many times more for drugs than people in comparable countries pay for that same drug.
“This proposal won’t fix everything, but it’s a much bigger step forward than we’ve seen from President Trump or the Republicans, who continue to profess concern over high drug prices but have done nothing so far to challenge the drug companies monopolies, force companies to negotiate prices or guarantee that patients can get the medicines they need to stay healthy. From the president’s NAFTA 2.0 proposal that would lock in high prescription drug costs for years, to the huge tax breaks for drug companies in his 2017 tax law or his constant sabotage of the Affordable Care Act that puts millions of American’s health care at risk, it’s clear that President Trump supports protecting the drug company profits over health care for families.
“We need aggressive action to rein in these companies’ corporate greed and the Democrats’ proposal takes us in the right direction. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the government should ensure that everyone has access to the prescriptions they and their families need. Congress should take immediate action to pass this legislation. The cost of doing anything less is far too high.”
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Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is the national grassroots coalition that ran a $60 million five-and-a-half year campaign from 2008-2013 to pass, protect, and promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and protect Medicare and Medicaid. HCAN has come back together to fight the Republicans’ all-out effort to take away America’s health care and put people at the mercy of the health insurance companies again.
