Congressman Horsford of Nevada to sponsor bill that caps Medicare drug costs

WASHINGTON — In an attempt to cut through roadblocks in Congress, Reps. Steven Horsford of Nevada and Kendra Horn of Oklahoma are introducing legislation on Friday that would cap out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors with Medicare.

The bill would cap drug costs for 46 million patients who have Medicare Part D at $2,000 per year for lifesaving drugs like insulin.

“Stories of Nevadans struggling to afford their lifesaving medications are not unique to our state,” said Horsford, a Democrat, whose district includes Nye County.

The high cost of prescription drugs forces too many seniors to choose between putting food on the table and lifesaving medications, said Horn, a fellow Democrat.

The legislation is expected to be taken up in the House Ways and Means Committee next week.

A cap on prescription drugs also is contained in a health care package introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., this year.

Though Democrats, Republicans and the White House support a cap on Medicare out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, other measures in House and Senate versions of health care legislation could become an obstacle for passing a larger, more encompassing bill.

The Horsford/Horn bill, called the Capping Drug Costs for Seniors Act, could move through Congress as stand-alone legislation if other bills stall because of partisan gridlock.