A new version of a Senate drug-pricing bill would trim the amount seniors would pay for medications, advocates are claiming.
This new draft lowers what Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for paying in the initial phase of their prescription plans, from 25% to 20%, once deductibles are met.
The latest measure also allows beneficiaries to more evenly distribute monthly medication payments, which could not annually rise above $3,100.
The senators driving the latest measure are Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley and Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden. Neither shied away from the previous bill’s most controversial element: a requirement that pharmaceutical companies pay rebates to the federal government should they raise the prices above the overall inflation rate.
It remains unclear whether Grassley and Wyden can convince enough colleagues to pass the revised measure. President Trump has indicated he will sign drug pricing legislation if it is approved by both chambers.
