WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to news that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ proposal to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B is under review by the Office of Management and Budget, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now Executive Director Ben Wakana issued the following statement:
“We are emphatic in our support of the proposed International Pricing Index for Medicare Part B. It is a bold step forward to lower drug prices, which patients desperately want and the country needs.
“We hope the Trump Administration will finalize this rule to tackle head-on the fact that Americans pay twice as much for drugs than citizens in other wealthy countries.
“Don’t be fooled by Big Pharma’s spin. There is no evidence the proposed Part B changes would impact patient access to drugs.”
BACKGROUND
- Recent polling shows how voters across the country overwhelmingly favor — by a 71-point margin — bringing Medicare Part B drugs in line with what people in other wealthy nations pay, and eight in 10 voters believe the proposal will result in better care or have no impact on the care they receive.
- “Americans pay anywhere from two to six times more than the rest of the world for brand name prescription drugs.”
- More than 1,500 patient advocates signed a petition urging the administration to move forward with the proposal to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B.
- Patients For Affordable Drugs Now released a TV ad, “Ruth,” about a Florida patient who tells the story of how her family went bankrupt and lost their home due to the price of her Part B drugs. She urges Congress and the Administration to move forward and implement an International Pricing Index. P4ADNow also released a video featuring Mike Gaffney, a resident of Washington state who discussed what the Part B changes would mean for him.
- In April, P4ADNow hosted a congressional briefing featuring a bipartisan panel of experts who agreed that International Reference Pricing can lower drug prices in the U.S. while maintaining innovation.
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