Wyden, Finance Democrats Press RFK Jr. to Reject Big Pharma Pause on Medicare Negotiation
Following Noncommittal Answer in Committee and Statement by CMS, Finance Democrats Press for Commitment to Continuing Medicare Drug Price Negotiation on Schedule
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and all 12 Democratic members of the committee today sent a letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressing him to answer nearly a dozen questions regarding his views on Medicare drug price negotiation and confirm he will not pause negotiations, as CEOs representing the largest pharmaceutical companies have requested.
“As a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed without a single Republican vote, Medicare drug price negotiation is a powerful tool available right now to President Trump to make good on his long-standing promise to stand up to Big Pharma,” the senators wrote. “On behalf of the tens of millions of Americans who count on Medicare, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee want to know whether the Trump Administration will follow through on negotiating with Big Pharma to deliver the lower costs promised to the American people.”
The letter, sent to Kennedy in his capacity as the nominee to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), asks whether he will follow the Inflation Reduction Act’s statutory requirements related to Medicare drug price negotiation, whether the Trump administration will continue to defend the law in court against attacks by Big Pharma, and other questions. Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released the list of the next set of drugs that will be negotiated by Medicare. Yesterday, now run by the Trump administration, the agency released a concerning statement that appeared to open the door to Big Pharma’s requests.
“Contrary to what you suggested in today’s hearing, the Trump Administration’s statement is far from an embrace of drug price negotiation and appears to be opening the door to changes that could undermine Medicare’s ability to get the best price possible on drugs,” the senators continued.
The full letter can be found here.
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