Steven Horsford to sponsor bill that caps Medicare drug costs
WASHINGTON — In an attempt to cut through roadblocks in Congress, Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada and Oklahoma Rep. Kendra Horn are introducing legislation on Friday that would cap out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors with Medicare.
The bill would cap drug costs for 46 million patients who have Medicare Part D at $2,000 per year for life-saving drugs like insulin.
Horsford, a Democrat, said “stories of Nevadans struggling to afford their life-saving medications are not unique to our state.”
The high cost of prescription drugs forces too many seniors to choose between putting food on the table and life-saving medications, said Horn, a fellow Democrat.
The legislation is expected to be taken up in the House Ways and Means Committee next week.
A cap on prescription drugs also is contained in a health care package introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., earlier this year.
Although Democrats, Republicans and the White House support a cap on Medicare out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, other measures in House and Senate versions of health-care legislation could become an obstacle for passing a larger, more encompassing bill.
The Horsford/Horn bill, called the Capping Drug Costs for Seniors Act, could move through Congress as stand alone legislation if other bills stall because of partisan gridlock.
Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.