Restoring Access to Medication Act passes out of committee

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins’s (R-Kan.) bipartisan legislation H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2015, recently passed by a voice vote out of the Ways and Means Committee.

This legislation was introduced with Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.).

“There is no doubt the President’s health care law has made life harder on families and doctors,” Jenkins said. “For example, because of this law, you can’t use health-savings accounts or other flexible spending accounts to buy over-the-counter drugs unless you first go to the doctor and get a prescription. These are tools that lets you, not the federal government, or some insurance company, be in control of your own health spending. Not every time you get sick you should be forced to go to the doctor. You should be able to treat yourself and purchase the medicine you need because we all know that not all sicknesses require a doctor’s visit.”

Jenkins is hopeful that the bill will soon be brought to the House of Representatives for a vote.

“I’m pleased the members of the Ways and Means committee agree with me and Congressman Kind and voted to advance my legislation to once again empower patients to make their own decisions and not make purchasing something as simple as cold medicine a bureaucratic burden,” Jenkins said. “It is now my hope this bipartisan legislation is quickly brought to the House Floor for a vote.”