Senators on both sides back prescription drug caps
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – There's a push to put a cap on the out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs.
"The cost of prescription drugs is too high," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said.
Gillibrand says people in her state have a hard pill to swallow when it comes to affording their prescriptions.
"We have constituents that literally are making those choices between paying for groceries or paying for medicine," Gillibrand said.
To combat this, she introduced a bill to cap the annual out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs: $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families.
"If passed, these caps would apply to both group health plans and marketplace health plans," Gillibrand said
Gillibrand also supports legislation that would match U.S drug prices to Canada's.
"It's infuriating. The people in Buffalo have to pay 2 or 3 times as much if they buy it, you know, one mile in the United States or one mile out of the United States," Gillibrand said.
"Oh, absolutely. I am for that," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said.
Hawley supports caps on prescription drugs and introduced his own bill he says will take it a step further.
"What the big pharma companies are charging for drugs in France and Germany and in Canada, whatever that price is. That's what it will be in the United States," Hawley said.
Hawley agrees there is no reason for Americans to suffer with what he calls unfair pricing practices.
"I'm in favor of of any approach to make progress on this. I just think that the cost of prescription drugs is outrageous," Hawley said.
Gillibrand and Hawley are optimistic that Republicans and Democrats can come together on the issue.