Rep. Craig cosponsors bill to allow Medicare to negotiate drug pricing and establish public option to increase competition in health insurance marketplace

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Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig announced her support for the Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019, a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug pricing as well as establish a public option health plan with comprehensive health benefits that would compete with large insurance companies.

"Families across Minnesota are facing skyrocketing healthcare costs and some are struggling to find health insurance plans that meet their needs without breaking the bank," said Rep. Craig. "By allowing Medicare to negotiate drug pricing and adding a public option to increase competition to our existing health insurance system, this bill would expand choice of coverage for Minnesotans and increase fiscal responsibility."

Rep. Craig's support for the bill, authored by Rep. Antonio Delgado of New York, comes after a series of listening sessions and town halls focused on the need to address the cost of healthcare and the price of prescription drugs. To that end, the bill contains tax provisions that would promote affordability and encourage more families to get covered, and also allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices. Similar to Rep. Craig's State Healthcare Premium Reduction Act, the bill also contains a reinsurance fund to help lower premiums.

Additionally, the measure would allow those who are happy with their employer-provided insurance to keep it, while offering another, more affordable coverage option to those who need it. This is particularly important in rural areas where the plan would first be available and where providers would see additional payment support without affecting the Medicare trust fund.

In addition to cosponsoring the Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019, Rep. Craig has also cosponsored several bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, including the PRICED Act, a bill to increase competition for biologic drugs and allow more affordable generics to enter the market. She is also a Co-Chair of the New Democrats Health Care Task Force where she is working to stabilize the healthcare system we have today, reduce healthcare prices, and expand access to more Americans.