Cassidy Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Help Older Adults Pay for Prescription Drugs

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has introduced the Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act of 2019 to help U.S. seniors pay for prescription drugs, reports the Ripon Advance . "This bill improves the Senate's legislation to lower drug prices and eases the burden on seniors struggling to pay for their medication," he announced. The legislation proposes a monthly out-of-pocket cost-sharing maximum for enrollees who incur significant expenses for covered Medicare Part D medications toward the annual out-of-pocket threshold over a month. A measure recently approved by the Senate Finance Committee would limit the annual dollar amount a person would be required to pay out of pocket, and Cassidy's bill would allow seniors who reach that limit early to stagger out their payments over the full year. "Not only do we need to cap seniors' costs under Medicare Part D, we need to make sure that those who rely on expensive medications don't get saddled with an unaffordable prescription drug bill at the start of every year," said co-sponsor Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). "No senior should have to face a choice between paying a massive prescription drug bill up-front and all at once or forgoing their prescribed medication because they can't."