House Democrats Push Back On Obama Plan To Cut Drug Prices

The Huffington Post reports:

A group of House Democrats is organizing an effort to slow down an Obama administration plan to reduce drug prices, according to a letter obtained by The Huffington Post.

The Department of Health and Human Services is working toward finalizing a new rule that would experiment with ending the financial incentive doctors have for prescribing some extremely expensive medications. The rule has been well-received among some patient advocates, but congressional Democrats have been largely silent, while the pharmaceutical industry and medical community have waged an aggressive campaign to stop it.

The campaign is bearing fruit. The letter being circulated among House Democrats uses the oldest move in the opposition playbook — warning of the dreaded unintended consequences. “We have concerns about the proposed payment model and its potential for unintended effects on beneficiaries and the physician community,” it reads, offering that, of course, they support the goal of the policy, just not the way it’s being done.

“A number of members have expressed concern about the scope and size of this initiative while recognizing problems with current payment rules,” said Drew Hammill, a spokesman for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). “Leader Pelosi hopes that CMS will continue to actively engage members and advocacy organizations as the particulars of this test are finalized.”

Imagine that.