Democrats Reintroduce Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Legislation

Source: Medical newstoday



Democrats Reintroduce Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Legislation
25 Oct 2007

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), along with Reps. Marion Berry (D-Ark.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that would require the federal government to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical companies for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, CongressDaily reports. The bill would allow Medicare to establish a formulary that would give HHS leverage in negotiations. Durbin said, "Under current law, Medicare beneficiaries are stuck with confusing, costly plans designed by insurance and drug companies. What seniors deserve is an affordable, straightforward drug benefit."

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Mohit Ghose, a spokesperson for America's Health Insurance Plans, said Medicare drug benefit costs have been below estimates the last two years and noted that private insurance plans are offering Medicare drug plans at lower-than-expected premiums. "Negotiation that is occurring is obviously producing results," Ghose said (Edney, CongressDaily, 10/24)................

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/86591.php

Read more: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/86591.php

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The Dems tried to pass this in the Senate last spring but failed (could not get the votes).

House has already passed it as I recall.

What was your "Read more" article? The two links are the same.

Thanks for sharing the good news!

health care like Dennis Kucinich has? Do the rest of the candidates really feel that the health care insurance companies are more important than the people that they are supposed to represent? Why would any of us vote for a candidate that supports the insurance companies instead of the people that they represent???????? I don't understand Americans these days?