- - By Rosana Ferraro

ALERT: Contact Courtney, Hayes, Larson to Support Prescription Drug Bill in Congress

Today we’re sharing an alert from Protect Our Care CT:

HR 3, Speaker Pelosi’s bill to reduce prescription drug prices, is being acted on by key committees NOW. Connecticut US Representatives Courtney, Hayes and Larson are on these committees and need to hear from constituents who support HR 3 and want lower drug prices. (Protect Our Care CT members recently met with Rep. Courtney. He is supporting the bill. You should thank him for his support.)

How to get in touch with Connecticut US Representatives:

  • Rep. Joe Courtney – (DC) 202-225-2076; (CT) 860-886-0139; www.courtney.house.gov (Education and Labor Committee)
  • Rep. Jahana Hayes – (DC) 202-225-4476; (CT) 860-223-8412; www.hayes.house.gov (Education and Labor Committee)
  • Rep. John Larson – (DC) 202-225-2265; (CT) 860-278-8888; www.larson.house.gov (Ways and Means Committee)

Speaker Pelosi’s bill would allow the government to negotiate the price of insulin and as many as 250 name-brand drugs each year for Medicare beneficiaries. Drug companies would also have to offer the agreed-on prices to private insurers or face penalties. PhRMA, which represents the country’s leading biopharmaceutical research companies, and related organizations are lobbying heavily against the bill. They argue that limiting drug prices would limit research and innovation.

From HCAN, Health Care for America Now:

SUGGESTED MESSAGE TO REPRESENTATIVES:

  • H.R. 3 is a great step forward in lowering drug prices for millions of people. It’s about time we joined the rest of the world in negotiating lower prices with drug companies rather than allowing the drug manufacturers to price-gouging and put patients’ lives at risk.
  • I encourage you to support and strengthen the bill: it should include all drugs for everyone in Medicare, private plans and any other kind of insurance–we all need lower drug prices.
  • I know the PhRMA lobbyists are trying to stop the bill, but I’m depending on you to stand up to the drug companies and make sure people like me can finally afford medicine.

KEY TALKING POINTS ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

  • Everyone wants proven treatments and life-saving innovations, but prescription drugs are useless to people who can’t afford them.
  • While the drug industry claims that research and innovation are the cause of escalating prices, the numbers tell a different story: Big Pharma companies like Johnson & Johnson spend twice as much on marketing to drive up profits as they do on research for new drugs.
  • Many of the drugs with rising costs are not new treatments. The price of routine medicines like insulin — which was patented in 1922 — are also skyrocketing.
  • Taxpayers are already paying a significant share of research and development costs. Research shows that every single one of the 210 drugs approved by the FDA between 2010 and 2016 benefited either directly or indirectly from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.