Drug-Price Bill Pruned in Senate in Partial Industry Win
- Medicare to be allowed to negotiate drug prices for first time
- Commercial market excluded from inflation cap on drugs
A pharmacist assists a customer at a store in downtown Los Angeles.
Photographer: Christopher Lee/Bloomberg
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Medicare was cleared to negotiate drug prices for the first time by the Senate’s top rules official, though the Democrats’ proposal intended to cap price increases for prescription drugs in the commercial market was blocked.
A separate provision capping out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month for those with private insurance also was blocked, according to a person familiar with the matter. Democrats were still waiting for a decision on whether the limit could be applied under Medicare.