Rep. Payne Of NJ Has Personal Link To Drug Costs Bill: Diabetes

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Congressman Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey’s 10th District has thrown his support behind a federal bill that he says could reduce the costs of life-saving prescription drugs across the nation.

Last week, Payne – who represents several towns in Essex, Hudson and Union counties – signed on as a co-sponsor to H.R. 3, also known as the Lower Drug Costs Now Act.

See the full text of the bill.

The proposed legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey’s 6th District, would allow Medicare and Medicaid officials to negotiate the price of insulin and 25 other prescription medications per year that lack a generic substitute with pharmaceutical companies directly. The bill would also allow both government health care agencies and private health care companies to charge patients the new, negotiated price.

The result? A potential savings of more than $550 billion over the next decade for taxpayers, patients and private businesses, Payne said.

According to Payne:

“Currently, the Medicare Part D program is forbidden by law from negotiating prices with drug companies already. Patients must pay whatever the pharmaceutical companies want to charge them for life-saving and life-sustaining medicines. It is one reason why prescription drug costs in the U.S. can far exceed costs for the same drugs in other countries. For example, a small bottle of insulin that costs $450 in the U.S. can cost as little as $21 in Canada.”

Payne – who has diabetes – said he has a personal interest in the bill and the easing burden that high drugs costs can have on Americans.

“Right now, we have patients and families across the country that have to make the choice between their food for the week or their medication,” Payne said. “That’s a choice people shouldn’t have to make in any country. We need to bring down costs and bring more accountability to the way we price prescription drugs.”

In February, the congressman issued a statement about the rising costs of medical treatment in the U.S. after he underwent treatment for complications relating to diabetes.

“The cost of diabetes in this country is $327 billion each year,” Payne wrote. “I recognize that I’m one of the lucky Americans who has good health coverage through their employment. Working for New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District is a privilege and honor I don’t take lightly.”

Payne said nearly one in five American adults cannot afford or access necessary health care.

“I know the importance of good-quality health care coverage, and that’s why I have fought for years against rollbacks to the Affordable Care Act — particularly those proposals that would harm people with preexisting conditions,” Payne said. “Everyone deserves to have access to health care when they need it.”

Payne represents the following municipalities: Bloomfield (part), East Orange, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair (part), Newark (part), Orange, South Orange, West Orange (part), Bayonne (part), Jersey City (part), Hillside, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Union Township (part).

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