Senate Democrats push to empower HHS to negotiate Medicare drug prices

Democratic senators are pressing Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to give HHS power to negotiate Medicare drug prices.

In a July 11 letter to the Senate Finance Committee's chairman and ranking member, 11 senators led by Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) expressed discontent with proposals currently under discussion to lower drug prices, including an international pricing index (IPI), and said HHS must be given the authority necessary to negotiate Medicare drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. HHS is prohibited from interfering in pricing negotiations under Part D...