House Committee questions value of Medicare drug benefit

The House Government Reform Committee issued a report which argues wholesalers like Costco and Drugstore.com are negotiating better prices from pharmaceutical companies than plans offered by insurers under Medicare Part D. According to the group, customers of the two chains enjoy prices on average 3 percent lower than those available at 10 leading Medicare drug plans. Democrats on the committee want the government to negotiate prices directly with drug companies. Under the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, however, it is illegal for the government to do so. A CMS spokesman questioned the report's objectivity.

- read this article from The Washington Post

ALSO: A review of prices in New York raises similar questions about the state's Medicaid plan. Article

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