Congressman Kim Calls on Congress to Lower Prescription Drug Costs

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) called on the House to pass H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would lower prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for certain drugs, creates a $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for people on Medicare, and expands Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision, and hearing.

Congressman Kim’s remarks can be found by clicking here. The text of his remarks can be found below:

Mister Speaker, I rise today to call for bold action to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Over the past year, I’ve held fifteen town halls across Burlington and Ocean Counties, and the number one issue I hear about is the cost of prescription drugs and health care. We have a chance right now to pass critical legislation that will have a tangible and real impact on the lives of the people we serve.

By passing H.R. 3, we can help lower the costs of critical drugs like insulin for the tens of thousands of New Jerseyans struggling with diabetes. By passing H.R. 3, we can save lives by making cancer medications more affordable. By passing H.R. 3, we can finally deliver comprehensive dental, vision and hearing benefits for all seniors under Medicare including over 130,000 people in our district. And by passing H.R. 3, we can expand access to the Medicare Savings Program – a provision I was proud to introduce and champion to help 3.5 million seniors afford quality health care.

We must take big, bold action, because the challenge our neighbors face in affording their health care is critical. I hope you’ll join me in passing this bill and making an impact we can all be proud of. Thank you, and I yield back.

The legislation included a provision from a bill introduced by Congressman Kim, H.R. 4671, the Helping Seniors Afford Health Care Act, which would expand access to affordable care to an estimated 3.5 million seniors by increasing the income eligibility levels for Medicare recipients to qualify for Medicare Savings Programs. Medicare Savings Programs provide financial assistance to help seniors who qualify based on income level, pay for Medicare premiums, copayments, prescription drug costs and other health expenses.

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