Page 18 - NAACP Playbook 7.15.19

o AARP urges Congress to pass legislation that would allow Medicare to use its enormous
buying power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.
o AARP urges states to buy in bulk to lower drug prices and to continue to fight for the
authority to block excessive prices increases.

 Increase Access and Affordability. The Medicare Part D prescription drug program makes

medications more affordable for millions of seniors. But one in 10 Part D enrollees with high
out-of-pocket costs spend at least $5,200 a year on their medicines. Many of these seniors have
chronic conditions—meaning they are facing these high costs for the rest of their lives.

o AARP urges Congress and state governments to pass legislation that would help seniors
with high drug costs by capping their out-of-pocket costs.
o AARP urges Congress to maintain the donut hole provision.

 Close Loopholes and Improve Access to Generic Drugs. Brand-name drug companies are
limiting the availability of lower-priced versions of their medications by entering into so-called
“pay for delay” agreements in which they pay generic drug companies not to produce a
competing product. This loophole lets brand-name drug companies continue profiting for years
by preventing lower-cost generics from reaching consumers.

It’s time to crack down on drug company price gouging and stop these pay-for-delay
agreements that keep prices artificially high and limit consumer choice and competition.

o AARP urges Congress to pass the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent
Samples (CREATES) Act and other legislation that would ban pay-for-delay deals.

 Support transparency. For several years, states have passed or been considering legislation
that would require drug makers to report the reasons behind dramatic price increases. The laws
require pharmaceutical companies to justify high launch prices and price increases.

o AARP urges all state governments to enact laws that promote transparency.

Should Americans pay the same amount for drugs as people in other countries?

Americans pay the highest brand-name drug prices in the world, and policymakers must act now to
change that AARP urges Congress to pass legislation that would allow Medicare to use its enormous
buying power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. AARP also supports states moving to
import the drugs from other countries at lower prices than are currently sold in the U.S., and for the
federal government to approve any of these programs.

It’s great that AARP is launching a campaign to lower prescription drug prices, but how do you keep
it focused on the costs and impacts on people and not make it partisan?

AARP is a nonpartisan organization and we never contribute to any political party, candidate or elected
official. We are eager to work with the President and Congressional leaders from both parties to begin
enacting commonsense, bipartisan legislation to help lower prescription drug prices. AARP is focused
on lowering the price of drugs set by drug makers, which is the root cause of the problem.