October 16, 2019

Pelosi Price-Control Plan a Poison Pill for Healthcare

Socialist-style government control of prescription drug market a sure-fire way
to kill innovation and limit patient access.

(Arlington, Virginia) — With three House committees taking up hearings and markups on H.R.3 this week, CASE Vice President Gerard Scimeca issued a statement condemning Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s ‘drug pricing’ proposal and urging House members to oppose the legislation:

“As Americans look for leadership to help lower healthcare costs, Speaker Pelosi puts forward a prescription drug proposal that is absolutely disastrous in every regard; one that will fail to lower the costs consumers pay over the counter for medicine, but will decimate innovation into new cures and limit patient access to the current medications they need.”

This week CASE joined more than 70 free-market groups and activists in signing a letter to Congress urging defeat of the plan.

 “Socialist price-controls on drugs have an undisputable track record of limiting patient access to medicine while creating disincentives to invest resources in future innovation. Price-controls would further work to obliterate the competitive structure of the U.S. healthcare market, hurting U.S. companies, workers and patients.

“This bill does nothing other than to empower government at the ultimate expense of consumers and patients. It is a gross invasion of U.S. medical industry by the government, and moves us one giant step closer to a government takeover of healthcare and Medicare for All. The penalties and taxes included in the bill are arbitrary and punitive, designed to hurt U.S. businesses and interests.

“Sadly, this bill is what we have come to expect from the Speaker and her Democrat colleagues, activism that attacks U.S. industry and innovation. The policies in this proposal will reduce access to cutting-edge cures available to patients, reduce incentives for companies to invest in the cures of tomorrow, while letting other nations such as China continue to freeload on America’s world-leading medical innovation.

“We call on lawmakers and all concerned Americans to reject this government intrusion into our healthcare system. There is too much at stake.”