Some of you may have heard about the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act that works to establish fair price negotiations for prescription drugs, among other things. This bill, which has been passed by the House of Representatives, is waiting for Congressional approval. If passed, this would allow Medicare to negotiate drug costs with pharmaceutical companies for 250 drugs per year. Medicare Part D beneficiaries would save hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.
While this bill is sitting in Congress, Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL) has created a new bill, HB 19, which is a state-backed program to import reduced-cost drugs from Canada. The idea is not to negotiate prices but to find alternative drugs to those popular and overpriced drugs that are frequently used. Those similar drugs are much lower in cost, which would save patients hundreds of dollars in costs. We are hopeful that this bill will pass with Gov. Ron DeSantis working closely with the White House on the matter.
The team at OurSeniors.net wants to inform you of this news as it becomes available since we believe that all seniors in Florida should understand how this affects them. Check back for more updates or subscribe to our newsletter to receive more information on this and other valuable information relating to senior issues here.