AARP Kansas pleased with prescription drug bill progress, calling on Roberts to change his vote

AARP Kansas is pleased that potential prescription drug price relief is going forward in the U.S. Senate.

“Last Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee, of which Senator Pat Roberts is a member, voted 19-9, a bipartisan vote, in favor of what is called the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019.”

Even though the bill made it out of committee, Roberts didn’t vote for it.

“The price of drugs have gone up almost 60% from 2012 to 2017,” said Tritsch. “Drug prices affect everybody, but it particularly effects older Americans, especially those on Medicare. They take about 4.5 prescriptions per month.”

AARP also supported an amendment offered in committee to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices, but that amendment was not adopted. AARP is encouraging its Kansas members to contact Roberts.

“When it goes to the Senate floor, which is probably going to be after the August recess, we’re hoping that he’ll change his mind,” said Tritsch. “We’re hoping that Kansans will call him or email him or visit him when he’s back in the state and say, hey, let’s do something to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. This is just out of control.”

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.