John Rother Statement on MEDPAC Report
Statement on MEDPAC Report
Washington, D.C. – Today, John Rother released the following statement following the MEDPAC Report which highlights “rapid growth in drug prices”:
“This MEDPAC report confirms exactly what we have been saying: rising drug prices are putting a colossal burden on America’s health care system and now total nearly 20 percent of health care spending. Without market-based solutions like transparency, competition, and value, we can only expect the problem to get worse.”
As the MEDPAC report outlines, “The Commission remains concerned about the rapid growth in drug prices because that growth can affect beneficiary access to needed medications, as well as the financial sustainability of the Medicare program. In 2013, drugs and pharmacy services made up 19 percent of program spending. This value is larger than the oft-cited ten percent because it is a broader measure that includes spending for drugs and pharmacy services used as inputs at health care facilities, e.g. hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.”
