Pelosi Unveils Price Negotiation Bill, Similar to Draft Plan

On Sept.19, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced her much-anticipated government price negotiation plan that would empower the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate drug prices that would apply to all payers. A summary of the revised bill includes one major change from a draft plan (leaked on Sept. 9): the final version instructs HHS to negotiate prices on drugs without generic or biosimilar competition. Price negotiation would apply to drugs with no competition that are among the top 250 most costly drugs to Medicare and the U.S. health system. Under Pelosi's plan, the negotiated prices would be available to all payers, including commercial payers, and HHS would be required to negotiate a minimum of 25 drugs per year. (The earlier draft plan included price negotiation on drugs with less than two competing two competing generics or biosimilars.)

Pelosi's plan also proposes a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries and disabled individuals.

The House Energy & Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing on drug pricing legislation next week on Wednesday, Sept 25.

Sources: InsideHealth Policy; NPR

Posted: 9/19/2019