Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) put her full support behind the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act which would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs for seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D, including 560,000 Nevadans.
"In Reno and all across our state, Nevadans are dealing with rising prices and being forced to make difficult decisions because of the outrageous and skyrocketing cost of prescriptions drugs," said Sen. Rosen.
"I’m signing on to legislation to empower Medicare to negotiate lower drug costs because this is a clear solution that will help Nevada seniors afford critical and often life-saving medications. This would be a game-changer helping to bring down costs at the pharmacy for so many Nevada seniors, particularly for those on fixed incomes struggling to make ends meet.”
Current federal law bans Medicare from negotiating directly with the pharmaceutical industry for lower prices.
Sen. Rosen announced her co-sponsorship of the bill introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) at the Reno Senior Center with leaders from AARP Nevada and the Washoe Senior Coalition.
"Many drugs for senior are just life preserving, something that they need to add more years to their life," said Connie McMullen, president of the Senior Coalition of Washoe County. “People should not have to choose between keeping their home or extending their life."
Sen. Rosen said the drug prices impact more than just the seniors, it impacts the lives of their family too and the ones who help them pay their bill or for medications.
"Every day it doesn't get passed, it could cost another life," she said.
"They're foregoing medications because of the cost of housing, the cost of utilities and even food, so it's dire," said Maria Moore, director of AARP Nevada.
This co-sponsorship announcement came two weeks 36,700 Nevadans signed a petition to lower the cost of prescription drugs and sent it to Sen. Rosen.
60 senators need to support this bill for it to pass.