Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor committees reintroduced the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which closely mirrors the version of the bill that passed the House in 2019. The bill would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for certain drugs, cap out-of-pocket costs for Part D beneficiaries and require manufacturer rebates for certain drugs whose prices increase faster than inflation. The Lower Costs, More Cures Act, reintroduced this week by Republican leaders of the same committees, also closely resembles the version from the 116th Congress and includes some bipartisan proposals, such as capping seniors’ out-of-pocket drug costs and Part D benefit redesign. The Democrat-led bill should be considered the likely base for any drug pricing provisions that could be included in an upcoming infrastructure package. The prescription drug reforms included in the Democrats’ bill generate significant savings that could be used to offset other spending priorities.
