House Republican signs on to Democrats’ Medicare drug savings proposal

{mosads}The industry group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America says the legislation will lead to rationing.

Emerson signed on to similar legislation last year. The issue is even more partisan this year, however, as House Democrats have endorsed the provision as an alternative to the GOP’s plan to cut Medicare spending by shifting to subsidies for private insurance.

“There’s savings to be had by negotiating those drug prices and addressing how Medicare reimbursement takes place for drug benefits,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said last month. “This is a rip-off of the taxpayer, to have the pharmaceutical companies make as much money as they do.”