,,ii  #aag? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #aabc  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,april #ad1 #bjba,mrs4 
,blackburn introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 
0 read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on
 ,f9ance  ,a ,,bill  ,to pres]ve        
non-int]f]5ce "u ! ,m$ic>e "p ,d        
,prescription ,drug ,b5efit program4    
#a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z 
! ,pres]v+ ,innovation = ! ,next        
,g5]ation ,act or ! ,,p+ ,act4  #b4     
,f9d+s ,congress makes ! foll[+ f9d+s3  
7#a7 ,s9ce implem5tation1 ! ,m$ic>e     
,prescription ,drug ,b5efit program "u  
"p ,d ( title ,,xviii ( ! ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciew-#aja et seq47 7ref]r$ to 9 ?is   
section z ,m$ic>e "p ,d7 has succe$$    
beyond expectations 9 provid+ af=dable  
prescription drug cov]age = m ?an       
#de1jjj1jjj s5iors & disabl$            
individuals4  7#b7 ,! competitive m>ket 
has kept total ,m$ic>e "p ,d co/s bel[  
orig9al e/imates1 :ile /ill (f]+        
b5efici>ies /eady premiums & a v>iety ( 

alt]native =mul>ies & b5efit design4    
7#c7 ,?is competitive pric+ /ructure    
works1 9 l>ge "p1 due to ! non-int]f]5ce
 clause "u ,m$ic>e "p ,d :i* provides = 
robu/ private m>ket negotiation )\t     
undue gov]nm5t int]f]5ce4  7#d7 ,!      
,congressional ,budget ,(fice repeat$ly 
has said t gov]nm5t negotiation w\ld h a
 negligible impact on ,m$ic>e "p ,d     
sp5d+ unless ! gov]nm5t also re/rict$   
access to m$ications4  7#e7 ,to a*ieve  
any significant sav+s1 ! gov]nm5t w\ld  
ne$ to impose access or cov]age         
re/rictions on m$ications4 ,9 fact1     
limit+ options w likely result 9 co/s   
%ift+ to high] sp5d+ = o!r ,m$ic>e      
s]vices & negatively impact ! heal? (   
s5iors )\t help+ to r$uce gov]nm5t      
sp5d+4  7#f7 ,hav+ a broad range (      
treatm5t options is fundam5tal to       
provid+ good c>e to all pati5ts1 b      
p>ticul>ly s = ! ,m$ic>e population1 :o 
are m likely to be affect$ by multiple  
*ronic conditions4 ,) ! adv5t (         
p]sonaliz$ m$ic9es & t>get$ !rapies--:]e

 ! und]ly+ molecul> driv]s ( disease    
help id5tify & direct precise1 t>get$   
treatm5t *oices--limit+ access r$uces ! 
va/ pot5tial ( break?r\gh sci5ce to     
revolutionize c>e4 ,!re=e1 x is         
imp]ative to ensure b5efici>ies h access
 to a broad] range ( m$ic9es to be/ meet
 _! heal? ne$s4  7#g7 ,m$ic>e           
b5efici>ies w\ld n be bett] (f if       
,m$ic>e "p ,d drug cov]age 7 adm9i/]$ by
 ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t 9 ! same way z !    
,vet]ans ,adm9i/ration4 ,_m vet]ans rely
 on o!r s\rces to supplem5t _! ,vet]ans 
,adm9i/ration drug cov]age due to       
re/rictions t limit _! access to ne$$   
m$ications4 ,m ?an half ( all vet]ans   
supplem5t _! ,vet]ans ,adm9i/ration     
b5efits ) o!r s\rces ( drug cov]age1    
includ+ ,m$ic>e "p ,d4 ,a rec5t ,vet]ans
 ,adm9i/ration survey %[s t             
approximately #hj4d p]c5t ( vet]ans _h  
bo? ,vet]ans ,adm9i/ration &            
non-,vet]ans ,adm9i/ration heal? cov]age
 &1 among ^? 9 ,m$ic>e1 #cc4b p]c5t h   
,m$ic>e "p ,d = prescription drug       

cov]age4  7#h7 ,impos+ a re/rictive     
,vet]ans ,adm9i/ration-type =mul>y on   
,m$ic>e "p ,d is unlikely to "w = !     
div]se gr\p ( m ?an #de1jjj1jjj         
b5efici>ies enroll$ 9 ,m$ic>e "p ,d4    
,evid5ce %[ t s5iors w\ld h limit$      
*oices & few] m$ic9es available to !m4  
,a rec5t analysis by ,xc5da f\nd t ( !  
top #bjj "p ,d br& "n drugs1 #gd p]c5t  
or m 7 cov]$ across /&-alone            
prescription drug plans & ,m$ic>e       
,advantage prescription drug plans1     
comp>$ ) #eb p]c5t t c\ld be cov]$ by ! 
,vet]ans ,adm9i/ration =mul>y4  7#i7 ,a 
national =mul>y w\ld re/rict access to  
af=dable & vital prescriptions _m       
,m$ic>e b5efici>ies rely on4 ,robu/     
pati5t access to a full range ( m$ic9es 
has be5 a corn]/one ( ,m$ic>e "p ,d4    
,re/rict+ access to m$ic9es c           
significantly r$uce adh]5ce4 ,poor]     
m$ication adh]5ce1 9 turn1 c lead to    
worse heal? outcomes & high] ov]all     
sp5d+4  7#aj7 ,price controls or l>ge   
p5alties to =ce companies to comply )   

s-call$ negotiations h result$ 9        
re/rict$ access abroad & ?reat5 simil>  
re/rictions on access 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates4
 ,rese>* demon/rates t gov]nm5t price   
sett+ r$uces access = pati5ts & results 
9 few] or delay$ treatm5t options--ne>ly
 #ij p]c5t ( new m$ic9es laun*$ globally
 9 ! pa/ decade are curr5tly available  
to pati5ts 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 only ab\t 
half are available to pati5ts 9 o!r     
c\ntries l ,france & ,canada4  7#aa7    
,limit+ pati5t access to m$ic9es        
contradicts ! f\ndational pr9ciples (   
,m$ic>e "p ,d & ! value b5efici>ies     
d]ive f ! program--a rec5t survey %[s t 
m ?an #ij p]c5t ( ,m$ic>e b5efici>ies   
are satisfi$ ) _! drug cov]age & m ?an  
#hj p]c5t said x is important to !m to h
 a v>iety ( prescription drug plans "u  
,m$ic>e "p ,d f :i* to *oose4  #c4 ,s5se
 ( ! ,s5ate ,x is ! s5se ( ! ,s5ate t   
non-int]f]5ce 9 ! ,m$ic>e "p ,d         
,prescription ,drug ,b5efit program "u  
section #ahfj;,d-#aa7;i7 ( ! ,social    
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           

#aciew-#aaa7;i77 %\ld n be repeal$4  #d4
 ,prohibition on ,,cmi te/+ ( models t  
w\ld repeal non9t]f]5ce ,section        
#aaae;,a7b7 ( ! ,social ,security ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acae;a7b77 is am5d$ by  
add+ at ! end ! foll[+ new p>agraph3    
7#e7 ,prohibition on te/+ ( models t    
w\ld repeal non9t]f]5ce ,! ,,cmi %all n 
te/ any model t w\ld repeal or require a
 waiv] ( section #ahfj;,d-#aa7;i74  4