Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he wants to eliminate rebates that drugmakers pay to pharmacy benefit managers in government drug plans.
The White House abandoned the ideal out of concern that insurance companies would increase premiums for seniors.
“The administration threw us a curve ball” when it scrapped the proposal, Mr. Grassley said during a planned markup of the Senate package to lower drug prices, according to CNBC.
Mr. Grassley and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced drug-pricing legislation July 22. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could save taxpayers about $100 billion, reduce out-of-pocket costs by $27 billion and deliver $5 billion in savings on premiums.
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