Title: Expressing the sense of Congress on the need to inform American consumers with more balanced purchasing information for prescription drugs through the disclosure of price information in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Expresses the sense of Congress that:

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 146 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 146

    Expressing the sense of Congress on the need to inform American 
 consumers with more balanced purchasing information for prescription 
drugs through the disclosure of price information in direct-to-consumer 
                         (DTC) advertisements.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 20, 2018

 Mr. Burgess submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
   the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of Congress on the need to inform American 
 consumers with more balanced purchasing information for prescription 
drugs through the disclosure of price information in direct-to-consumer 
                         (DTC) advertisements.

Whereas, on June 13, 2017, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, 
        Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled, ``The Cost of Prescription 
        Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay'';
Whereas, on October 17, 2017, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, 
        Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled, ``The Cost of Prescription 
        Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay, Part 
        II'';
Whereas, on December 12, 2017, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, 
        Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled, ``The Cost of Prescription 
        Drugs: An Examination of The National Academies of Sciences, 
        Engineering, and Medicine Report `Making Medicines Affordable: A 
        National Imperative''';
Whereas, on December 13, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on 
        Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, held a hearing on 
        ``Examining the Drug Supply Chain'';
Whereas, on May 11, 2018, President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services 
        Secretary Alex Azar introduced the American Patients First blueprint to 
        bring down prescription drug prices;
Whereas American patients deserve more transparency and information to better 
        position them to be well-informed participants in their health care 
        decision making as they consult with their physician or other licensed 
        health care practitioner;
Whereas the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is the single largest payor 
        for drugs in the United States;
Whereas, in 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and its 
        beneficiaries spent over $174 billion on drugs covered under Parts B and 
        D, and $64 billion on drugs covered under Medicaid, for a total of more 
        than $238 billion for prescription drugs;
Whereas, in 2017, drug manufacturers spent over $5.5 billion on prescription 
        drug advertising of which nearly $4.2 billion was spent on television 
        advertising; and
Whereas the ten most commonly advertised drugs have list prices ranging from 
        $535 to $11,000 per month or usual course of therapy: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the efficient administration of both Medicare and 
        Medicaid encompasses Federal efforts to achieve good value for 
        funds spent in the Medicare and Medicaid programs;
            (2) it has directed the Department of Health and Human 
        Services to operate Medicare and Medicaid programs efficiently;
            (3) the Department of Health and Human Services has the 
        authority to require direct-to-consumer (DTC) television 
        advertisements of prescription drugs and biological products to 
        include the Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC, or ``list price'') 
        of that drug or biological product under sections 1102 and 1871 
        of the Social Security Act; and
            (4) the proposed rule by the Department of Health and Human 
        Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 
        published in the Federal Register on October 18, 2018, when 
        finalized shall be codified without change.
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