Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) could win the favor of the nation’s left-leaning seniors with the introduction of new legislation aimed at making prescription drugs more affordable.
“Americans should not have to live in fear that they will go bankrupt if they get sick,” Sanders said in a statement. “People should not have to go without the medication they need just because their elected officials aren’t willing to challenge the drug and healthcare industry lobby.”
Sander’s legislation would give the Department of Health and Human Services the authority to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over the price of medicines for people on the Medicare prescription drug program. A 2003 law currently bans such negotiations from taking place.
“Between our government’s unwillingness to negotiate prices and its failure to effectively fight fraud, it’s no wonder drug prices are out of control,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ legislation would also make it easier to import prescriptions from Canada, where patients pay an average of 40 percent less for drugs than U.S. citizens.
The Sanders bill would also require drug companies to file thorough reports on what drives up the cost of drugs, including detailed information about research and development costs.
The independent lawmaker noted that patients are paying for massive amounts of lobbying with every prescription, as the pharmaceutical industry spent $230 million to influence Congress in 2014 alone. That’s about $65 million more than any other industry spent on lobbying.
The post Bernie Sanders wants to take on Big Pharma appeared first on Personal Liberty®.
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