The disproportionately higher cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. compared to prices in other countries is not just an issue for individual patients. It also takes a toll on state and federal tax dollars in the form of government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
In an effort to tackle the issue, the full U.S. Senate is set to take up the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 when they return from their August recess. We get an analysis of that legislation from Georgetown University Center for Children and Families Research Professor Edwin Park.
We’ll also explore U.S. Senator Rick Scott’s bill called the America First Drug Pricing Plan and state legislators’ effort to tackle the problem through a bill passed this year (SB 1528/ HB 19) that could lead to the importation of lower-cost medications from Canada and other countries.
