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Committee hears HCR 42 urging Congress to back prescription-cost reduction programs
Summary
Representative Perkins told the House health committee HCR 42 asks Congress to support programs to lower prescription costs for Medicaid and Medicare patients. Committee members pressed the sponsor on cost-effectiveness, and no public witnesses testified for or against the resolution.
Representative Perkins presented House Concurrent Resolution 42, asking Congress to support programs designed to lower prescription costs for Medicaid and Medicare patients and to help elderly and low-income residents access medicines more affordably.
"HDR 42 simply calls on Congress to support more programs like the generating cost reduction program that's good for mitigating rising cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid and Medicare patients," the sponsor said when the committee opened public testimony. He characterized the approach as especially beneficial to elderly and low-income Missourians.
Representative Dahl pressed the sponsor on the program's cost-effectiveness, saying the document the committee received refers to the program as "Trump Rx" and that studies the member reviewed show higher costs compared with generic options or discount programs. "Every study that has been done about this program has shown that it actually has higher costs than just simply getting your prescriptions, using a program like GoodRx or getting a generic through your regular pharmacy," Dahl said.
Perkins disputed Dahl’s characterization of the program’s name and claimed the initiative helps low-income patients. A brief procedural point of order was raised by Representative Bush during the exchange about allowing the witness time to listen to questions.
The committee called for public input; the clerk reported no members of the public present to testify in support, opposition, or for information. The hearing on HCR 42 concluded with no committee action recorded in the transcript.
The committee is taking testimony on multiple items during the same meeting and did not record a committee vote on HCR 42 in the provided transcript.
