HHS Secretary Price Statement on Lower Drug Costs for Seniors

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D., released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that Medicare Part D premiums are projected to decline for our nation’s seniors in 2018:

“For the first time in five years, the average premium for a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is projected to decline in 2018. This is encouraging news for the nearly 43 million seniors who are enrolled in the program. Lowering drug costs is a key principle of President Trump’s efforts to address the challenges in our healthcare system, and HHS is committed to doing all we can to increase the affordability and accessibility of care.

“Reflecting President Trump’s commitment to this issue, HHS has begun a broad effort to make drugs more affordable – particularly for America’s seniors. This announcement by CMS comes on the heels of a proposal released last month that would allow seniors to share in the discounted drug prices hospitals are already getting under Medicare.”

For more details, see materials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services here.