Executive Calendar
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, as is now obvious to everyone, ObamaCare made healthcare even more expensive. Premiums are up. Copays are up. Deductibles are way up. ObamaCare has been a disaster, and even the Democrats are admitting it.
Let's all remember, ObamaCare was sold and based on a bunch of lies. You didn't get to keep your doctor, your health plan, and your premiums didn't go down.
The Democrats want Medicare for All, which will absolutely ruin the Medicare system and throw 150 million people off of the employer- sponsored health insurance they like. That would be a disaster. There is something we can do and must do right now to help American families: We must lower prescription drug costs.
This is very personal to me. I grew up in a family without healthcare. My mom struggled to find care for my brother who had a serious disease. Eventually she found a charity hospital 4 hours away for his treatment. I remember asking my mom how much lower drug costs would have to be for her to consider changing pharmacies. Without missing a beat, she said: a dollar.
This story is not uncommon. All over my State I hear the same thing: Drug prices are rising, and we are having trouble affording the lifesaving medication we need.
I recently met Sabine Rivera, a 12-year-old from Naples, FL, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than 2 years ago. She is 12 years old, and she is already worried about how she will afford the rising cost of insulin--something no 12-year-old should ever have to stress about.
Patients want to shop for better coverage and lower costs, but too often they can't or don't know how. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies are charging low prices for prescription drugs in Canada, Europe, and Japan but charging American consumers significantly more. Why? Because for too long politicians have done nothing.
American consumers are subsidizing the cost of prescription drugs in Europe and Canada and all over the world. Why should we be doing that? That certainly is not putting America first, and that is not putting American families first. That is why I am working with President Trump and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to fix this problem.
I recently introduced the America First Drug Pricing Plan with Senator Josh Hawley to take real steps to lower costs for patients and put the consumers back in charge of their healthcare decisions. Part one of my bill focuses on transparency.
First, pharmacies must inform patients what it will cost to purchase drugs out of pocket instead of using their insurance and copays. If patients choose to pay out of pocket, which is sometimes cheaper, the total cost would be applied to their deductible.
Second, insurance companies should, and must, inform patients of the total cost of their prescription drugs 60 days prior to open enrollment. This allows patients to be consumers and shop around for the best deal.
Finally, my bill would simply require that drug companies cannot charge American consumers more for prescription drugs than the lowest price they charge consumers in other industrialized nations.
I have found that provision to be controversial in Washington. Do you know where it is not controversial? Everywhere else. In Tampa and Orlando, Miami and Panama City, all over Florida, this just makes sense. I don't spend a lot of time outside of Florida, but I would wager and say that across the country my bill would make a lot of sense too.
Why would we as American consumers, who make up 40 percent of the market for prescription drugs, pay two to six times more for drugs than consumers in Europe or Canada or Japan? That needs to change. My bill takes real steps to change this, and I believe it should have bipartisan support.
I also led seven of my colleagues in a letter to pharmaceutical companies asking them to work with us on solutions to lower the cost of prescription drugs. We are still waiting to hear back.
American consumers are facing a crisis of rising drug costs, and we can't wait any longer. I will not and cannot accept the status quo of rising drug costs. We need to get something done this year, and I am fighting every day to make sure we do.
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