Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today in support of legislation I have introduced with several of my colleagues--Senators Murkowski, Barrasso, Stabenow, and Cassidy--that would remove a barrier that prevents patients from getting the most affordable prescription drug prices at the pharmacy counter. Mr. President, Americans have the right to know which payment method--whether it is using insurance or paying with cash out of pocket--would provide the most savings when they are purchasing prescription drugs. The two bills we have introduced would establish some clarity in this incredibly opaque drug pricing system. Nearly 60 percent of Americans, including roughly 90 percent of seniors, take at least one prescription drug. In 2016, Americans spent more than $330 billion, including a staggering $45 billion out of pocket, on retail prescription drugs. The Federal Government picked up another $139 billion through Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. Prescription drugs amount to nearly 18 percent of all healthcare expenditures and are the second fastest growing expenditure within healthcare. Moreover, two-thirds of personal bankruptcies in our country have been attributed to the cost of medical care, including prescription drugs. To make informed decisions, at the very least, we should have the right to know how much our prescription drugs cost.…”