releases: https://mucarsel-powell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=283
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| https://mucarsel-powell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=283 | Rep. Mucarsel-Powell Votes to Pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, For The People | 2019-12-12 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Democrat | House | FL | Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | M001207 | mucarsel-powell.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON TODAY,U.S.Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26)voted to pass H.R. 3, theElijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act bold, transformative legislation to strengthen the health and financial security of America's seniors and families. This legislation finally stops brand name pharmaceutical companies from forcing Americans to pay significantly more than those in other countries pay for the same drugs. The number one concern I hear from my constituents in Florida's 26thcongressional district is the high cost of healthcare, especially the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs. From Kendall to Key West, I've heard stories of patients forced to choose between putting food on the table or paying for life-saving drugs. Meanwhile, Big Pharma has raked in billions in profits each year. This cannot continue, saidMucarsel-Powell. In addition to curbing the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs, theElijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Actwould cut Medicare spending by up to four hundred billion dollars. These savings would be used to strengthen life-saving health services, including Community Health Centers like Community Health of South Florida, or CHI, which plays a vital role in providing care to the uninsured and underinsured. The Lower Drug Costs Now Actfinally levels the playing field for American patients and taxpayers. The bill: Gives Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companiesand creates powerful new tools to force drug companies to the table to agree to real price reductions, while ensuring seniors never lose access to the prescriptions they need. Makes the lower drug prices negotiated byMedicare available to Americanswith private insurance,not just Medicare beneficiaries. Stops drug companies ripping off Americans while charging other countries less for the same drugs,limiting the maximum price for any negotiated drug to be in line with the average price incountries like ours, where drug companies charge less for the same drugs andadmit they still make a profit. Creates a new, $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries,and reverses years of unfair price hikes above inflation across thousands of drugs in Medicare. Reinvests the hundreds of billions of dollars in savings in the most transformational improvement to Medicare since its creation delivering vision, dental, and hearing benefits and turbocharging the search for new cures. For the 106,007 Florida 26thdistrict seniors enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and the 427,771 individuals enrolled in private health insurance, H.R. 3 will deliver substantial savings that will make a real difference in their lives. H.R. 3 will reduce drug costs for millions of Americans in FL-26 and across the state: Breast Cancer: Florida patients could save $45,100 off the average total cost of the breast cancer medication Ibrance per year; Leukemia: Florida patients could save $66,300 off the average total cost of the leukemia medication Tasigna per year; Prostate Cancer: Florida patients could save $72,100 off the average total cost of the prostate cancer medication Zytiga per year; Arthritis: Florida patients could save $30,000 off their total costs on most arthritis drugs per year; Asthma: Florida patients could save $1,130 off their total costs on most Asthma drugs per year; HIV/AIDS: Florida patients could save $9,000 off their total costs on most HIV/AIDS drugs per year; Multiple Sclerosis: Florida patientscouldsave $27,000 off their total costs on most MS drugs per year; Diabetes: Floridapatients could save$15,000off the average total cost of the insulin NovoLOG Flexpen per year. Additionally, H.R. 3's expansion of Medicare coverage for dental, vision, and hearing services represents a significant out-of-pocket savings for Florida's seniors, with: 97% of Medicare beneficiaries in Florida 26thDistrict are estimated to gaindental benefits; 51% of Medicare beneficiaries in Florida 26thDistrict are estimated to obtainvision benefits; 62% of Medicare beneficiaries in Florida 26thDistrict are estimated to securehearing benefits. On behalf of the people of South Florida and all Americans, I am proud to join my colleagues to passThe Lower Drug Costs Now Actto deliver significant savings for patients, employers, and taxpayers and make critical investments in both the largest expansion of Medicare benefits since Medicare's creation, as well as an expansion of lifesaving research for the groundbreaking cures of the future, continuedMucarsel-Powell. With this historic step, House Democrats reaffirm our continued commitment to advancing real progress that makes a difference for hard-working families. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |