Elijah Cummings: “we have a health crisis in this Nation. Our seniors are being priced out of the prescription drugs that help keep them…”

“we have a health crisis in this Nation. Our seniors are being priced out of the prescription drugs that help keep them alive and allow them to live healthy lives. I submit that after a lifetime of service to family and community, our seniors deserve to pay less. They deserve to pay less than customers of drug companies who receive discounts because they have market power. But more importantly, they deserve to pay less than that which is paid for drugs used by animals. Today I am releasing a government reform minority study of my district in Maryland which reveals that drug manufacturer prices are twice as high for humans than for animals, and these price differentials cannot be justified by quality differences or research costs. Now is the time to act. I urge my colleagues to end this discrimination by supporting a comprehensive benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries.”