Senator Robert Casey Responds Regarding S.1131 the Fair Accountability & Innovative (FAIR) Drug Pricing Act of 2017

Dear Mr. Austin: Thank you for taking the time to contact me about S. 1131, the Fair Accountability and Innovative Research (FAIR) Drug Pricing Act of 2017. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue. S. 1131 was introduced on May 16, 2017, by Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. This legislation would require pharmaceutical manufactures to report planned increases in the price of certain drugs to the Department of Health and Human Services. Under S. 1131, manufacturers would be required to report increases of 10 percent or more over a 12-month period or 25 percent or more over a 26-month period. The reports would include information such as pricing history for the drug and a justification for the new price increase. The FAIR Drug Pricing Act of 2017 would require these reports for prescription drugs commonly used at hospitals, excluding vaccines, drugs for rare conditions and drugs with annual sales for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees of less than $1. The FAIR Drug Pricing Act of 2017 has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, of which I am a member. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as the committee considers this legislation. The rising cost of prescription drugs has taken a toll on citizens all across the country, particularly in Pennsylvania. I understand the difficulties that families face when the medication that can treat a loved one is too expensive. Fixing this problem is a priority for Pennsylvanians, and it is one of my priorities in the U.S. Senate. Recently, with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, I was pleased to introduce S. 469, the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act. This bill would allow wholesale distributors, pharmacies and individuals to import certain types of prescription drugs from Canada. S. 469 also includes language to ensure the safety of imported medication and the integrity of the prescription drug supply chain. Maintaining the integrity of our drug supply, the safest in the world, is critical, and these safety provisions are a key part of S. 469. I look forward to working on the issue of drug prices in the future, and to working with my colleagues in the Senate to advance S. 469. If you require assistance paying for your prescription medication, there are resources available. Many pharmaceutical companies offer assistance programs, and for older citizens, Pennsylvania has resources such as free counseling to help you compare health care and prescription drug plans. For information about these programs, please contact the Pennsylvania Department of Aging APPRISE Program at 1-800-783-7067. APPRISE is a service for Pennsylvanians age 60 and above, regardless of income. If you are unsure who you should contact, please do not hesitate to call my Harrisburg office at (717) 231-7540 or visit http://casey.senate.gov/constituents/casework/. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you. For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania. Sincerely, Bob Casey United States Senator