Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) voted today for legislation that could provide lower drug prices for seniors and persons with disabilities.
The House passed H.R. 4, which requires the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prescription medicine prices on behalf of those enrolled in Medicare Part D.
“More than three years ago, I voted against the legislation that created Medicare Part D, because I believed it to be deeply flawed. H.R. 4 would correct one of Part D’s most fundamental flaws and will also assist our rural pharmacists,” said Etheridge. “This legislation is a good first step toward more comprehensive Medicare reform.”
The current Medicare prescription medicine plan explicitly prohibits the U.S. Secretary of HHS from using the strength of Medicare’s 43 million beneficiaries to negotiate prescription medicine price discount. The bill will repeal that provision and require the secretary to conduct such negotiations.
H.R. 4 also prohibits the HHS Secretary from requiring a particular formulary, or list of covered medicines, to be used by Medicare Part D plans or restricting any prescription medicine.
Etheridge has been working since Medicare Part D was implemented in November 2005 to fix fundamental flaws in the initiative. Etheridge has also supported legislation that would waive the penalty for seniors who did not sign up by the initial deadline in May 2006. Congressional leaders have stated their intention to examine all aspects of the Medicare system and develop appropriate reforms.
The legislation is also endorsed by the National Community Pharmacists Association. Many community pharmacists have struggled under Medicare Part D because of delayed or insufficient reimbursements from insurance companies. Rural pharmacists have been particularly burdened. H.R. 4 would address these issues by removing the current clause in Medicare Part D that prevents the government from interfering to ensure prompt and sufficient reimbursements to pharmacists.