U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., continued to push his “Transparent Drug Pricing Act” on Tuesday which, he claimed, “promotes transparency in drug pricing and reduces the cost of prescription drugs for American consumers.”
After highlighting his proposal last week, Scott teamed up with U.S. Sen. John Hawley, R-Mo., on Tuesday to introduce it.
“American consumers are facing a crisis of rising drug costs and we can’t wait any longer. I urge every senator to put themselves in the shoes of a family or a senior living on a fixed income who’s seen their drug costs triple in just a few years. This is about the lives of real people that hang in the balance,” Scott said. “Every American should know exactly what their prescriptions cost and it’s unfair that consumers in other countries get a better deal than patients in America. That must change. There is no justification for waiting, we need to address the soaring costs of prescription drugs right now. Drug prices are a serious problem – a problem Washington should have addressed long ago.”
“It’s infuriating to watch the big pharma companies abuse American families again and again by charging them outrageous prices for lifesaving medicines. We need to lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds prescription drug pricing. Insurance companies need to be up front about what consumers will pay for prescription drugs and pharmacies need to disclose the lowest price available. It’s common sense,” Hawley said.
The proposal would attempt to make prices more transparent, offer more choices to consumers by having insurance companies inform them about the costs of prescriptions and try to ensure drug companies keep prices in line with the discounts they offer in the international market.
So far, Hawley is the only cosponsor of the bill which was sent to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Monday. There is currently no counterpart over in the U.S. House.
Kevin Derby can be reached at [email protected].
