On September 19, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other top House Democrats unveiled the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 (H.R. 3), which is intended to establish a fair price negotiation program, protect the Medicare program from excessive price increases and establish an out-of-pocket maximum for Medicare part D enrollees.

During a news conference, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) said members "would like to jump-start the markup in October." Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said, "We're going to have a hearing in the subcommittee next Wednesday, so we want to do this as quickly as possible." Speaker Pelosi said, "We do hope to have White House buy-in, because that seems to be the route to getting any votes in the United States Senate."

According to a congressional summary, H.R. 3 would:

• reduce the price US consumers pay for drugs to be closer to what other industrialized countries pay by using a market-based system of negotiation without any restrictions on patient access or choice of drugs
• require manufacturers who increase prices in Medicare faster than inflation to pay back that excess charge to Medicare
• better align incentives in Medicare Part D to lower prices and also protect Medicare beneficiaries from high out of pocket costs

The bill is attached.

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ATTACHMENT

Lower Drug Costs Now Act