DeLauro Votes to Require Medicare to Negotiate With Drug Companies for Lower Drug Prices

DeLauro Votes to Require Medicare to Negotiate With Drug Companies for Lower Drug Prices

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today voted to cut the cost of health care and improve access to prescription drugs by requiring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. The measure was part of the first 100 legislative hours agenda set forth by Congressional Democrats and was supported by dozens of organizations, including AARP, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Families USA. Following is the text of DeLauro's floor statement on the bill, as prepared for delivery. The bill passed the U.S. House overwhelmingly.

"Madame Speaker, every family in America , every business, struggles in some way with the rising cost of health care -costs that are limiting America 's potential to lead in this century as it did in the last. And the key to driving those health care costs down is getting control of skyrocketing prescription drug prices. There is so much this body can do to make that possible.

"But there is a lot this Administration can do to lower the cost of prescription drugs as well, and it starts with negotiating better prices of behalf of Medicare beneficiaries - something the previous majority expressly and senselessly prohibited when the Medicare Prescription Drug law was passed by Congress in 2003. This, after we had successfully negotiated a better price for Cipro during the anthrax crisis in 2001 - and saved lives.

"This legislation is not about establishing formularies, setting price controls or picking and choosing on behalf of seniors - it is about empowering the government to act on behalf of consumers and seniors. Particularly when we have drug companies reporting double-digit profit increases while raising prices on top-selling medicines, that is what this Congress should be doing.

"Madame Speaker, it is not too late to get our health care crisis under control. Let's start by allowing the government to negotiate drug prices as private insurance plans do for their customers and the VA does so successfully for our nation's veterans. Let's start by supporting this bill.

http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2007/January/Medicare_Negotiate_01_12_07.html