Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson voted to pass H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, bold, transformative legislation to strengthen the health and financial security of America's seniors and families by finally stopping Americans from having to pay more for their medicines than what Big Pharma charges for the same drugs in other countries.

"For hard-working Americans in Florida and across the country, the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs remain a real crisis that threatens their health and financial security," said Rep. Wilson. "While Big Pharma pads its profits with drug prices in the United States that are three, four, or even ten times higher than what they charge for the same drugs in other countries, too many American seniors and families are being forced to make the unthinkable choice between filling a prescription and paying their bills. This status quo is unsustainable, which is why House Democrats ran and won on our promise For The People, to lower health care costs by lowering the price of prescription drugs. By passing H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, that is exactly what we are doing."

The Lower Drug Costs Now Act finally levels the playing field for American patients and taxpayers:

• Gives Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies and creates powerful new tools to force drug companies to the table to agree to real price reductions, while ensuring seniors never lose access to the prescriptions they need.
• Makes the lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare available to Americans with private insurance, not just Medicare beneficiaries.
• Stops drug companies ripping off Americans while charging other countries less for the same drugs, limiting the maximum price for any negotiated drug to be in line with the average price in countries like ours, where drug companies charge less for the same drugs – and admit they still make a profit.
• Creates a new, $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and reverses years of unfair price hikes above inflation across thousands of drugs in Medicare.
• Reinvests the hundreds of billions of dollars in savings in the most transformational improvement to Medicare since its creation – delivering vision, dental and hearing benefits – and turbocharging the search for new cures.

For 104,608 District 24 seniors enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and the 352,786 individuals enrolled in private health insurance, H.R. 3 will deliver substantial savings that will make a real difference in their lives.

H.R. 3 will reduce drug costs for millions of Americans in District 24 and across Florida.

• Breast Cancer: Florida patients could save $45,100 off the average total cost of the breast cancer medication Ibrance per year;
• Leukemia: Florida patients could save $66,300 off the average total cost of the leukemia medication Tasigna per year;
• Prostate Cancer: Florida patients could save $72,100 off the average total cost of the prostate cancer medication Zytiga per year;
• Arthritis: Florida patients could save $30,000 off their total costs on most arthritis drugs per year;
• Asthma: Florida patients could save $1,130 off their total costs on most Asthma drugs per year;
• HIV/AIDS: Florida patients could save $9,000 off their total costs on most HIV/AIDS drugs per year;
• Multiple Sclerosis: Florida patients could save $27,000 off their total costs on most MS drugs per year;
• Diabetes: Florida patients could save $15,000 off the average total cost of the insulin NovoLOG Flexpen per year.

Additionally, H.R. 3's expansion of Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing services represents a significant out-of-pocket savings for Florida seniors..

"On behalf of the people of Florida and all Americans, I am proud to join my colleagues to pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act to deliver significant savings for patients, employers and taxpayers and make critical investments in both the largest expansion of Medicare benefits since Medicare's creation, as well as an expansion of lifesaving research for the groundbreaking cures of the future," continued Congresswoman Wilson. "With this historic step, House Democrats reaffirm our continued commitment to advance real progress that makes a difference for hard-working families."