December 09,2019

ICYMI: Trump Backs Senate Drug-Pricing Bill, Pressuring Wary Republicans

By Tom Howell Jr.
December 7, 2019
 
President Trump late Friday endorsed a Senate drug-pricing bill that would cap what seniors pay at the pharmacy counter and require drug makers to rebate Medicare if prices rise faster than inflation.
 
The bipartisan measure “would be another huge step forward for American families — for their health, their peace of mind, and their financial security,” Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said. “The White House calls on Congress to act now to give Americans the relief they need by sending bipartisan drug pricing reform to the president’s desk this year.”
 
The statement increases pressure on Senate GOP leaders to put the bill up for a floor vote. ...
 
The White House backed the bill after Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican, and Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, fine-tuned the measure Friday.
 
One change would cap the amount of out-pocket-costs that a senior on Medicare has to pay in any given month, spreading costs over a longer period to avoid large one-time expenses.
...

Runaway drug costs are a key issue for voters, however, so Mr. Trump would like to see progress heading into the 2020 reelection year.