Just Medicine Campaign

The DGSOM AMSA chapter is proud to partner with AMSA National in launching the new Just Medicine Campaign!
 

Campaign Goals:

  • Advocate for affordable prescription medicines, specifically H.R. 1046 (the Medicare Negotiation & Competitive Licensing Act) & H.R. 3 (Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Prices Now Act)
  • Raise awareness about how healthcare policies are influenced by high pharmaceutical drug prices
  • Mobilize students and members of the community to engage with policymakers about these issues
  • Assess and highlight the influence of pharmaceutical lobbying in policymaking 
  • Organize advocacy workshops to empower students and give them the tools they need to advocate for change

 

just medicine infographic website

More about H.R. 1046:

Key points of the bill:

  • Under H.R. 1046, the Secretary of Health & Human Services would be required to negotiate prescription medication prices directly with pharmaceutical companies, on behalf of Medicare Part D

  • If negotiations fail, a competitive license will be issued to generic manufacturers in order to produce a more affordable version of the medication

  • In the event that a competitive license is issued:

    • Reasonable compensation will be provided to the original pharmaceutical company to minimize profit loss in the interim

    • An interim price for the medication in question will be set based on international references

  • "Pay-for-delay" and other anticompetitive behaviors in the pharmaceutical industry would be prohibited

 

Support:

  • 128 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives

  • Endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus

  • 90% of Democratic and Republican voters support the concept of Medicare negotiation with pharmaceutical companies

 

Download AMSA National's H.R. 1046 fact sheet or read the full text bill.

 

More about H.R. 3:

 

Key Points of the bill:

  • H.R. 3 is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's drug pricing bill which would allow Medicare to negotiate prices for 250 of the most expensive prescription drugs in the market (annually)
    • Prices (based on an "international pricing index") would then be applied to these drugs in the private health insurance market as well
  • This bill would also penalize pharmaceutical companies who do not participate in negotiations with taxes that increase each quarter until they participate
  • It would also penalize companies that raise medication prices at greater rates than the inflation rate
  • It creates an out-of-pocket maximum of $2,000 for Medicare benificiaries (currently no maximum)
  • This bill also calls for reinvesting government and Medicare savings from lower drug prices into NIH research for novel treatments

 

Support:

  • H.R. 3 passed the House of Representatives on December 12, 2019

 

Read the full text bill and stay updated on H.R. 3's progress.

Stay informed!

 

To find your senator, visit https://www.senate.gov/

To find your representative, visit https://www.house.gov/

To learn about a bill, visit https://www.congress.gov/

Get involved!

Please contact us if you'd like to get involved in this campaign or receive updates about related events such as advocacy trainings, lobby visits, or lunch talks.