Urge Your U.S. Rep. to Support HR 3, A Bill That Allows Medicare to Negotiate for Lower Drug Prices

By MUUSJN on Saturday, December 7th, 2019

Call Your U.S. Representative

1-202-224-3121

(capitol switchboard)

Tell your Representative to Vote for H.R. 3

“The Lower Drug Costs Now Act”

THE PROBLEM

Prescription drug companies charge Americans three, four or even 10 times what they charge people in other countries for the same drugs. These companies subject Americans to unjustified drug price hikes that are far above the rate of inflation.

The soaring cost of insulin is an example of out of control prescription drug prices that are crying for a solution. More than 100 million people are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Diabetes is reportedly the highest cost disease in the U.S., more than $300 billion per year. Insulin was invented almost 100 years ago in 1922. Yet, between 2012 and 2016 insulin costs have nearly doubled ($2,864 to $5,075) according to the Health Care Cost Institute.

Seniors and families are struggling to buy prescriptions they need to stay healthy. Three in 10 adults reported not taking their medicines as prescribed during the last year due to the cost.

The big pharmaceutical companies are raising prices on prescriptions not so they can do more research and development to find new cures and treatments, but to pad their profits. According to analysis done by the Washington Post, nine of the 10 big pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing, sales and overhead than on research.

H.R. 3 — A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Rep. Frank Pallone and 106 other U.S. Representatives co-sponsored H.R. 3. This includes four Michigan Congresspersons: Rep. Dan Kildee, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Rep. Haley Stevens and Rep Debbie Dingell. This bill has the support of House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

The proposed bill would:

  • Allow the federal government to negotiate prices on at least 25 and as much as 250 of the most costly prescription drugs that don’t have a generic competitor;
  • Create a maximum price during negotiation that would be based on the average cost of the drug in six countries: Australia, France, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan;
  • Penalize drug companies that refuse to negotiate or reach a settlement; and
  • Create a $2,000 out of pocket limit for Medicare beneficiaries.

The fate of this bill is uncertain in the Senate, where Senators have introduced their own drug price reduction bill that was co-sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D- Oregon) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). It’s been passed out of the Senate Finance Committee and President Trump has said he’ll sign it. However, it is being blocked by Senate Mitch McConnell. What’s new? Right now MUUSJN wants to make sure a drug price reduction bill gets adopted in the House. So we’re asking you to call your U.S. Representative.

TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:

  • If your U.S. Representative is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3, THANK him/her;
If your Representative is NOT a co-sponsor, say:
  • Americans are being overcharged by the pharmacy industry compared to other countries;
  • Three of 10 Americans say they can’t afford the prescriptions they need;
  • Medicare should be allowed to negotiate for better prices and there should be limits on how much people on Medicare pay out of pocket for their prescriptions;
  • H.R. 3, co-sponsored by 106 U.S. Representatives, will allow these long overdue reforms;
  • I urge you to vote YES on H.R. 3!

Category: News | Tags: , , ,