WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019:
“For too long, patients in other countries have paid significantly less than Americans for the same medications. This transformative legislation helps level the pricing playing field, allowing Americans to live healthier lives and save more of their hard-earned money. Not only does H.R. 3 bring down drug prices, it caps Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket prescription spending at $2,000 and saves the U.S. government nearly $500 billion. We’ll reinvest those tremendous savings into an unprecedented expansion of Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing services; a home visiting program that effectively combats the maternal mortality crisis in our country; a grant program that helps low-income adults find good jobs in health fields experiencing worker shortages; and groundbreaking medical research at the National Institutes of Health.
“I’m proud of the Ways and Means Committee’s contributions to this bill, and I’m thrilled that the legislation is now one step closer to becoming law and saving lives."
