House Passes Bill to Increase Transparency, Bring Down Prescription Drug Prices

On Monday, The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to increase transparency within the drug pricing process and to lower prescription drug prices. Before the vote, Congressman Greg Gianforte described to lawmakers one of the health care challenges many Montanans face.

“Far too many Montanans can’t afford the prescription drugs they need,” Gianforte said. “They shouldn’t have to leave the pharmacy counter emptyhanded because costs are too high. Montanans need access to affordable medications, which is why reducing drug prices is one of my top priorities.”

To lower costs, Gianforte says we need more transparency in our health care system.

“We need to shine a light into the opaque drug pricing process,” Gianforte said. “Our commonsense, bipartisan bill before the House today will shine that much needed light. The Payment Commission Data Act gives Congress nonpartisan think tanks, Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) and Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Committee (MACPAC), greater access to drug pricing data.”

With this data, Gianforte says they can better advise Congress about who is being a bad actor in the drug supply chain.

“It will help Congress address prescription drug prices more effectively,” Gianforte said. “We all want to ensure the American people can buy more affordable prescription drugs. I believe the bipartisan approach we have here should be a working model for how to move forward, not simply ramming through partisan bills.”

Gianforte introduced the bill in March 2019 and now it moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration and action.