Duckworth, Durbin Help Introduce Legislation to Expand Medicare Drug Price Negotiation and Lower Costs for Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Peter Welch (D-VT) in reintroducing legislation to expand Medicare negotiation of drug prices. The Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act would help lower drug costs for consumers, reduce federal spending and give the Department of Health and Human Services stronger tools to negotiate lower drug prices in Medicare Part B and Part D.
“No one should have to choose between paying for their lifesaving prescription or paying the rent—that’s why three years ago the Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, to empower Medicare to directly negotiate with drug manufacturers,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin and our Democratic colleagues in reintroducing the SMART Prices Act to help build on the progress we’ve made to lower the cost of prescription drugs and improve health care for hardworking Americans.”
“People in the United States are paying four times more than people in similar countries pay for life-saving medications,” said Durbin. “Democrats took the first step to address this issue three years ago by passing the Inflation Reduction Act, to enable Medicare to negotiate with Big Pharma to lower costs for seniors—while every Republican opposed these savings. Now, instead of focusing on lowering prices for Americans, Republicans in Congress are focused on cutting Medicaid to give tax breaks to billionaires. Senate Democrats are introducing the SMART Prices Act to help lower the outrageous cost of prescription drugs, expand on the progress we have made, and improve health care for Americans.”
According to preliminary estimates from a model by West Health and Verdant Research, if the SMART Prices Act was enacted in 2026, it would save 33 percent more by 2030 than current law. It would also allow Medicare to begin negotiations earlier and bring down the price of more expensive drugs.
This legislation builds on Klobuchar and Welch’s provision, which was passed into law in 2022, that has empowered Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time, unleashing the power of 53 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D Drug Coverage. The SMART Prices Act would extend this progress by more than doubling the number of prescription drugs Medicare must negotiate to a minimum of 50 per year, allowing the most costly prescription drugs and biologics to have negotiated prices five years after approval by the Food and Drug Administration, and by increasing the discount that Medicare is allowed to negotiate.
Along with Duckworth, Durbin, Klobuchar and Welch, the SMART Prices Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The bill is endorsed by Center for American Progress, FamiliesUSA, Patients For Affordable Drugs NOW, Protect Our Care and Public Citizen.
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