WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging, released the following statement applauding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for including support for nonprofit prescription drug manufacturers – in line with Rosen’s Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act – as a provision in its plan to reduce prescription drug costs.
“We must take swift, forward-thinking action to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, an issue that burdens countless Americans whose health depends on access to medications,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to see that the Administration has endorsed supporting nonprofit manufacturers as a potential solution. This is an important topic that I have worked to address through legislation, Senate hearings, and advocacy. I will continue fighting to improve our health care system so that Americans don’t have to break the bank to afford critical medications.”
BACKGROUND: In June, Senator Rosen introduced the Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act, legislation to help reduce the cost of prescription drugs and medical devices, decrease the frequency of drug shortages, boost domestic production, and create jobs in America through the support of nonprofit prescription drug and medical device manufacturers. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 79 percent of Americans think the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable, with nearly three in ten American adults saying that they haven’t taken medication as prescribed due to cost.
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