House Committee Greenlights O'halleran-Led Bill to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

Press Release

Last night, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce voted unanimously to pass H.R. 1781, the Payment Commission Data Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01), Tom Rice (SC-07) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) last month.

The Payment Commission Data Act gives Congress' independent advisory commissions, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), access to drug pricing data so the industry experts on the commissions have access to the information needed to do their important work. This will increase transparency and help provide recommendations to Congress that will ultimately create policy reforms to help patients.

Currently, MedPAC and MACPAC do not have access to certain drug pricing data. MedPAC and MACPAC need data, such as information about drug rebates, in order to make recommendations to Congress on how to improve the Medicare and Medicaid programs and lower prescription drug prices.

"Today we took action to lower the cost of life-saving prescription medication and make the costs of these drugs more transparent to the American people," O'Halleran said. "This commonsense legislation, which gives experts complete access to drug pricing data as they put together recommendations for Congressional action, is an important first step, but we have more work ahead of us. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to lower the cost of prescription drugs and make health care affordable for families across Arizona."

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