Bill Aims to Make Generic Drugs More Affordable for Seniors

U.S. Reps. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.) have proposed legislation to make generic drugs more affordable for seniors, reports the Miami Herald . The sponsors said low-cost generic medications saved Medicare beneficiaries more than $90 billion last year, but those savings are in peril because a growing number of these medications have been re-categorized as more costly brand-name drugs. Kuster and McKinley added that their bipartisan bill would help counter these changes to lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors on Medicare Part D. The measure would ensure automatic coverage under Medicare of lower-cost generic drugs immediately after rollout, as well as categorize generic drugs as "generic-only" so users will not be charged the higher brand rate. The bill also would establish a dedicated pricing category for specialty generic drugs.