Pappas Reiterates Call for Congressional Action to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

Press Release

Yesterday, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined 40 of his colleagues to send a letter to Congressional leadership, urging them to take up legislative action as quickly as possible to lower drug prices.

The lawmakers wrote, "Only a few months ago, the House passed legislation that puts us on a road towards making real, tangible savings a reality for millions of Americans. Senate Democrats have also proposed legislation to ensure that, for the first time ever, Medicare will be able to negotiate the prices for certain drugs; to stop drug corporations from increasing prices beyond the rate of inflation without penalty; to cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors in Medicare Part D; and to guarantee that no one with insurance pays more than $35 per month for insulin. These are historic and life-saving reforms."

They continued to note that, "Already this year, drug corporations have raised prices on more than 400 drugs. Action can't happen soon enough to make medicines affordable for the millions who need them."

This letter comes after weeks of stalled action on the House passed Build Back Better Act, which includes provisions to allow Medicare negotiation for some prescription drugs, while capping the price of insulin at $35 dollars and limiting out-of -pocket costs for seniors with Medicare Part D. The effort is supported by key drug cost advocacy groups, AARP, Lower Drug Prices Now, and Patients for Affordable Drugs Now.

Congressman Pappas is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, and helped to introduce this legislation in the House in 2019.

In July 2021, Pappas joined a letter urging Congressional leadership in both the House and the Senate to include provisions giving Medicare the authority and the tools to effectively negotiate prescription drug prices in upcoming reconciliation legislation.

In October 2021, Pappas sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer urging immediate action to address the high cost of prescription drugs in the United States by including legislative language in the Build Back Better Act to accomplish this.

The full text of the letter is available here.

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