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In regard to President Trump’s new executive order to promote greater transparency by hospitals, insurers, and other providers through disclosure of more information about health care costs, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond said:
“On behalf of our 38 million members, we appreciate the president’s efforts to bring more transparency to health care costs for consumers. AARP has been calling for policies that create greater transparency as one of several measures needed to help lower prescription drug and other health care prices. We stand with the president, Congress, and the states as they work to lower health care costs – especially high drug prices, which disproportionately hurt older Americans.
“Today’s executive order builds on the Trump administration’s May 8th drug price transparency rule to compel pharmaceutical companies to disclose the list price for prescription drugs in TV ads. We look forward to that rule taking effect in early July. It is imperative that the Transparency Rule not be derailed by pharmaceutical companies that have sued to keep their prices secret.
“AARP urges Congress and the administration to work together to bring down costs, especially drug prices. We have endorsed bipartisan legislation that would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of millions of Medicare beneficiaries; reduce the length of market exclusivity for high-priced biologic drugs; prohibit pay-for-delay deals; and bring lower priced generic drugs to market more quickly.
“So far, in 2019, we have also endorsed and worked to pass 26 new laws across 17 states to help lower drug prices, including state efforts to allow for the safe importation of lower-priced drugs into the U.S. AARP is ready and willing to work with members of Congress, the administration, and state governors and lawmakers to stop Rx greed.”
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org
