Havre event set on Medicare prescription drug legislation

A meeting is set in Havre Thursday to talk about federal legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.

Havre native Jacob Bachmeier, program director for Big Sky 55+, will lead a discussion of the bill Lower Drug Costs Now Act that is part of the Build Back Better Plan social program bill being debated in Congress.

The $3.5 trillion dollar proposal would invest in a multitude of social areas including sweeping changes in education, tax laws, immigration and health care.

The changes in health care include expansion of Medicare. Part of that is allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.

A release from Big Sky 55+, a group advocating for social policy change, calls the proposal “long-overdue action on drug pricing this year (that) would make medicines affordable, save employers, seniors, families and taxpayers billions.”

The release said Lower Drug Costs Now Act would lower drug prices through Medicare negotiations, hold drug corporations accountable for raising prices faster than the rate of inflation and create an out-of-pocket cap for Medicare beneficiaries.

“The price of prescription medicines is rising faster than that of any other medical good or service, yet lawmakers have taken no meaningful action over the past decade to rein in drug corporations’ power to price-gouge despite strong support for policies like Medicare negotiations among Democratic, Republican and Independent voters,” the release said. “President (Joe) Biden has called for drug pricing reform in the upcoming reconciliation package expected this fall, but the pharmaceutical industry and their supporters in Congress oppose any action to address prices.”

The bill, going through the process of reconciliation that allows the Senate to avoid the filibuster rule that requires 60 votes to advance, is opposed by congressional Republicans.

It also is facing trouble in the House of Representatives with moderate and progressive Democrats squabbling over details including whether to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill immediately or wait until the framework of the Build Back Better Plan is passed, allowing work in budget reconciliation on that bill.

The press release said the 55+ event, part of the “Lower Drug Prices Now Tour,” is set for 7 p.m. Thursday in the Applied Technology Center’s Hensler Auditorium on the Montana State University-Northern campus.

“Local leaders will join Big Sky 55+ for an educational event to promote current proposals in Congress that could become law as part of this fall’s reconciliation package that would make historic investments in health care and the economy,” the release said.