Friend,

Recently, House Democrats brought forward H.R.6833, the Affordable Insulin Now Act. This bill represents the largest expansion of federal control in Americans’ private health insurance since Obamacare, and would ultimately result in many patients paying more for their insulin. The Affordable Insulin Now Act would allow manufacturers to raise the prices of insulin without scrutiny, leading to higher costs for patients through increased premiums or higher cost-sharing, as well as decrease the number of generic insulins on the market, and mandate private insurers to cover select insulin products at a government-imposed cap price. Furthermore, H.R.6833 fails to reform the convoluted rebate system so patients continue to pay higher prices on all other drugs at the pharmacy counter. 

Rather than follow suit with the Democrats’ drug pricing scheme, Republicans have introduced a bipartisan alternative, H.R.19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act to lower healthcare costs and ensure America continues to lead in healthcare innovation for more cures and treatments. This resolution will give patients more drug price transparency and ensure public disclosure of drug costs and discounts, increase low-cost options by bringing more generic and biosimilar competition to the marketplace fast, and will allow high deductible health insurance plans to cover insulin before the deductible kicks in. Additionally, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act will place a cap on seniors’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $50 per month.

Any healthcare reform legislation must be centered around the patient – not the government. Health is too personal to be solved by Washington’s one-size-fits-all mentality. It’s time that Washington comes together to support a healthcare system that uses the market to put downward pressure on prices, increases transparency in the healthcare and prescription drug markets, and continues to allow Americans to control their healthcare.

Sincerely,

Rob