Keep Focused

Sen. Max Baucus and the Finance Committee have delivered a health reform proposal that can improve the health-care system by expanding health and prescription drug coverage, increasing quality and making care more affordable.

As this legislation moves to the Senate floor, the nation's leaders must maintain a dual focus on both helping patients today, and protecting future patients by keeping safety, incentives for innovation, and access to Part D prescription drugs at the forefront. For example:

• Protecting Patient Safety: Health care reform must protect patients by giving the FDA the resources it needs to review new medicines in a timely manner. Health legislation must also maintain safeguards that protect the nation's drug supply from counterfeit or substandard foreign medicines that have not been FDA-approved
• Incentives for innovative therapies: The final bill must foster innovation and provide protection for intellectual property so that companies continue to make significant investments in research for new medicines. Prescription medicines not only help people lead healthier lives, but also prevent more serious future health problems
• Access to Medicare Part D prescription drugs: The Part D benefit is an example of strong competition leading to improved patient health and lower costs throughout the health care system. This program has delivered significant savings--and high satisfaction--among seniors. Furthermore, the biopharmaceutical industry has pledged to support legislation that would help close the coverage gap in Medicare Part D by giving most seniors a 50 percent discount on their brand-name medicines while in the coverage gap, allowing seniors to spend less out of pocket for their medicines

The pharmaceutical industry is committed to helping Congress pass comprehensive health care reform that not only extends affordable, quality health coverage to all Americans, but also protects medical innovation. Striking this appropriate balance will benefit patients, the economy, and America's future.

By David Brennan  |  October 15, 2009; 2:52 PM ET  | Category:  Health Care Reform
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