IDP Chair Rita Hart Highlights First Drugs Selected for Medicare Price Negotiation 

 

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart responds to the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement of Medicare selecting the first 10 drugs for price negotiation. In 2022, seniors paid $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for these 10 medications. This provision allows Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug costs, dealing a blow to Big Pharma and a win to Iowa families.

 

“For decades, Big Pharma has been able to use Medicare as a blank check, raking in billions of dollars off the backs of older Americans, but thanks to President Biden and Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, prescription drug costs are falling and more Iowa seniors will be able to afford the medication they need — no thanks to a single Republican. Every single GOP candidate coming through Iowa needs to answer whether they would rip away these lifesaving provisions and raise costs for families across the Hawkeye State — Iowans deserve to know.” 

 

MAGA presidential candidates are fighting to repeal the IRA and prevent Medicare from being able to negotiate drug prices, which would raise costs for Iowans:

  • Donald Trump railed against the Inflation Reduction Act and vowed to repeal the historic legislation.
  • Ron DeSantis has said he would “reverse” what he could through executive action and “repeal” the Inflation Reduction Act if elected president.
  • Tim Scott vowed to “simply eliminate the IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act, which of course is a lie from the pit of hell,” saying he would “eliminate every single one that I could from an executive perspective” and “would also engage Congress to reverse that legislation.”
  • Mike Pence called it a “policy failure” that the Inflation Reduction Act sets “price caps on prescription drugs.”
  • Nikki Haley strongly opposed the Inflation Reduction Act and wants to roll back important provisions of the legislation.
  • Vivek Ramaswamy has also criticized the IRA in the past.
  • Chris Christie has called the IRA a “mistake.”
  • Doug Burgum has also said he would repeal the IRA.