Cosponsorship of H.R.830--Help Copays Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I have cosponsored H.R. 830, the HELP Copays Act, to ensure that patients have affordable access to lifesaving care, prescription medication, and treatments. This bill would require health insurance plans to apply third-party payments, financial assistance, discounts, and other reductions in out-of-pocket expenses for an enrollee toward their cost-sharing requirements. I support this bipartisan effort to reduce out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs.

Should the bill move forward in the legislative process, I recommend limiting its provisions to drugs without a generic competitor. This ensures that patients who only have access to one expensive, branded drug to treat their condition can access payment assistance from manufacturers, but also incentivizes the use of lower-cost, generic drugs when possible. Narrowing the bill in this manner would prevent pharmaceutical manufacturers from abusing copay assistance programs to steer patients toward branded drugs that burden our healthcare system as a whole. I urge Congress to move forward with this proposal to provide relief to patients who may be forced to delay lifesaving care due to high cost-sharing and copay requirements.

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