From October 25, 2022 post.
Today, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), former chairman and current member of the Finance Committee, held a question-and-answer discussion with employees and community members at Sumpter Pharmacy in Adel. They discussed the bipartisan bills Grassley is leading to lower insulin costs, hold pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) accountable and establish more competition to lower prescription drug prices. Grassley is once again calling on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to hold votes on five bipartisan bills he is leading to bring down the cost of medication.
“Through bipartisan bills, hearings and investigations, I’ve successfully fought to help Iowans afford their medications – including by creating Medicare Part D, publishing an in-depth report exposing insulin pricing schemes and passing legislation like the Right Rebate Act and CREATES Act to lower costs. But there’s still work to do, and that’s why I’ve continued pushing for a full Senate vote on five of my bills that have already passed committee with bipartisan support. I appreciated having the opportunity to discuss these proposals in Adel today. I’ll keep working closely with local pharmacies to ensure Iowans in every part of the state are able to get the medications they need at an affordable price,” Grassley said.
“We appreciate the chance to share with Senator Grassley the serious challenges threatening the viability of local independent pharmacies all throughout Iowa and the U.S.,” said Leslie Herron, pharmacist and owner of Sumpter Pharmacy.
Biden administration officials and Democratic senators have recognized and praised Grassley’s work to hold Big Pharma and PBMs accountable to lower prescription drug costs. His five bipartisan bills currently awaiting a full Senate vote are:
- PBM Transparency Act with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
- Stop STALLING Act with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
- Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
- Prescription Pricing for the People Act with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
- Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act with multiple bipartisan senators
Grassley also talked about his concerns over reduced access to pharmacies under TRICARE’s PBM contract with Express Scripts. On September 29, he joined with his Senate colleagues seeking answers about TRICARE beneficiaries’ ability to maintain access to local pharmacies. The Department of Defense (DoD) hasn’t provided satisfactory answers. Grassley has followed-up with another letter to DoD asking questions about TRICARE’s PBM and agency’s oversight over the PBM contract. That letter can be found here.
In addition to these proposals, Grassley is the author of the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA), which includes 25 bipartisan provisions to establish accountability and transparency in the pharmaceutical industry. He also supports Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) bipartisan bill that establishes a $35 out-of-pocket cap on insulin.
Original source can be found here
