Cassidy introduces three bipartisan bills to lower prescription drug prices

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) this week unveiled three bipartisan bills to decrease the price of prescription drugs for Americans.

“Prescription drugs cost too much,” Sen. Cassidy said. “Getting rid of loopholes and incentives lowers drug costs for patients and for taxpayers.”

Sen. Cassidy on July 24 cosponsored the Transparency for Pharmacists Act, S. 2247, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) to require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a standard set of evidence-based, clinical quality metrics for use under contractual agreements with pharmacies under Medicare Part D, according to the bill’s text.

Joining Sen. Cassidy as cosponsors of S. 2247 were U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jon Tester (D-MT).

Sen. Cassidy also introduced the Right Price for Medicare Act to amend the Social Security Act to include certain fees in pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) transparency requirements, the bill’s text says.

And Sen. Cassidy introduced the Star Rating for Biosimilars Act with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to require the HHS Secretary to add a new set of measures to the 5-star rating system under the Medicare Advantage program to encourage increased access to biosimilar biological products, according to the text of the bill.

“These bipartisan bills will increase transparency in the drug pricing system and stop the games by pharmacy middlemen in order to lower the costs of prescription drugs for Montanans and Americans,” Sen. Daines said.

In April, Sen. Cassidy introduced another set of three bills focused on reducing drug prices by getting generics to market faster: the Reforming Evergreening and Manipulation that Extends Drug Years (REMEDY) Act; the Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act of 2019; and the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act of 2019.