Wyden Statement on Health Care Package
Washington, D.C. — Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement on the released health care package:
“This package provides essential health programs and providers with certainty for the rest of the year, as well as critical updates to the Medicaid program that will expand access to mental health care and substance use disorder treatment. However, I’m extremely disappointed it leaves behind major reforms that would lower prescription drug costs for America’s seniors and permanently expand access to mental health care. We can do better.
“Democrats and Republicans on the Finance Committee, as well as in the House, overwhelmingly passed bipartisan reforms to rein in the shadowy tactics by pharmacy benefit managers that hurt community pharmacies and drive up prescription drug costs. The Finance Committee also voted to further stamp out ripoff ‘ghost networks’ to make sure provider directories from Medicare Advantage plans are up-to-date and accurate. It is a real missed opportunity that these critical, bipartisan provisions will be unnecessarily delayed until December or longer.
“While disappointed, I plan to support the package and will go to the mat to advance these priorities that will lower health care costs and improve health outcomes for the American people.”
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