WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07) introduced bipartisan legislation to lower prescription drug costs for children and hard-working families. The Fair Drug Prices For Kids Act would give states the ability to purchase medication at the lowest price offered by drug manufacturers, lowering the costs of those medications for millions of children and saving state and federal dollars.
“Far too often families are forced to make the tough decision between purchasing lifesaving prescription medication for their children or paying the bills,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Our bipartisan Fair Drug Prices for Kids Act will allow states to purchase drugs for their standalone CHIP program at the ‘Medicaid best price’ and ensure that children and their families enrolled in a standalone state CHIP program have access to prescription drugs at the lowest price offered.”
“Across the country, more and more families are forced into making impossible choices between paying for their children’s life-saving medications or putting food on the table,” said Rep. Wild. “For the sake of our children’s well-being, we cannot allow this to continue. That’s why I introduced this critical legislation, which will provide a simple fix for states around the country with standalone CHIP programs and give millions of parents a peace of mind knowing that their children’s health won’t be jeopardized by exorbitant drug prices.”
Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP), drug manufacturers are required to sell their products to state Medicaid programs at the lowest prices offered to any commercial payer. This is known as the “Medicaid best price.” Unfortunately, for states that have a standalone Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Medicaid best price is unavailable. This means that these states are forced to pay higher prices for the same prescription drugs, which can result in higher costs for families and reduced access to medicines and other forms of needed care.
The Fair Drug Prices for Kids Act would give states the option of purchasing prescription drugs for their standalone CHIP through the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. This would generate immediate savings for individual CHIP programs and the federal government, opening the door for states to use those excess dollars to ensure additional families and children have access to essential medical care and prescription drugs.
This commonsense, bipartisan legislation is also supported by Little Lobbyists, Patients for Affordable Drugs Now, First Focus Campaign for Children, and Children’s Hospital Association.
“Many of our children with complex medical needs and disabilities lives depend on critical medications, and our families rely on the innovative development of pharmaceuticals,” said Little Lobbyists. “But medications are only life-saving if patients can afford to access them. Little Lobbyists fully supports the Fair Prices for Kids Act, to lower the cost of medications and help more children access the health care they need.”
“We are glad to see the Fair Drug Prices for Kids Act reintroduced in the House. This is an important bill that will help to lower costs for stand-alone CHIP plans in states, and allow more kids to be covered,” said Bruce Lesley, President, First Focus Campaign for Children.
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