US House passes Medicare Part D reform bill
The House voted Friday to require the government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. But the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate, a presidential veto threat, and doubts about whether it would save elderly and disabled Americans much money. The vote was 255-170, with 24 Republicans joining 231 Democrats in approving the legislation. The bill overturns a provision of the 2003 law pushed through by a Republican-controlled Congress that left drug-price negotiations under the new Medicare drug benefit to the private insurers that offer government-subsidized drug plans for seniors in each state. Backers of the current system, mainly Republicans, say that it pits insurers against one another in a healthy competition to negotiate the lowest prices from drug makers and offer seniors the most attractive monthly premiums, choice of drugs and access to pharmacies.But critics, mainly Democrats, say the system is a boon to drugcompanies because it prohibits the government – perhaps the one forcepowerful enough to take on the pharmaceutical industry – from using itsbargaining muscle on behalf of seniors.