Bilirakis Meets with Local Parkinson’s Patients, Champions New Bill and Warns of Danger as New Innovation-Limiting Provisions Are Signed Into Law

New Port Richey, Florida: Earlier today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis met local constituents who suffer with Parkinson's Disease. The patients explained the serious hardships patients and caregivers face when trying to receive an accurate diagnosis, find treatment options, and seek long-term support as they grapple with this debilitating disease. Unfortunately, as the 2nd most common and fastest-growing neurological disease globally, at least 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's are diagnosed every year. In addition to the human toll that this degenerative disease takes on patients and their loved ones, U.S. taxpayers spend over $52 billion annually to provide treatment to those suffering with the disease. By 2037, the cost is estimated to jump to more than $80 billion annually. There is no one exact cause of Parkinson's, and researchers believe it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Tragically, there is currently no way to prevent Parkinson's, no cure, and no treatments proven to slow, reverse, or stop the disease. The group discussed Congressman Bilirakis's recently filed legislation, the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, which will unite the federal government in a mission to cure and prevent Parkinson's, alleviate financial and health burdens on American families, and reduce government spending over time.

"This issue is very important to me as I've watched a close family member struggle with Parkinson's," said Congressman Bilirakis. "The lack of treatment options leave patients, families and American taxpayers in a terrible quandary. We must change our approach in order to get better results, which is exactly what our bipartisan legislation will do. It builds upon past success and strives to replicate other national project models that have helped advance our health care goals. This critical legislation will provide hope to those who are suffering and hopefully lead to more research into treatments and cures, better patient outcomes, and less expensive disease management. Together we can work to end this debilitating disease."

The group touched upon concerns also reflected by many in the Rare Disease community about government price controls mandated in the tax and spending package signed into law earlier today. Prices for prescription drugs in Medicare will be set by unelected bureaucrats, ultimately leading to less competition in the marketplace. These price controls will be enforced by a punitive 95% excise tax on all sales of the product. Also, as a result of the new provisions, inflation caps on drug prices will no longer be applied to commercial units of drugs. This means that while pharmaceutical manufacturers can't raise prices above inflation within Medicare, the companies could increase prices above inflation in the commercial market. Drug manufacturers also will have the ability to pull their products from Medicare, avoid the 95% excise tax and sell exclusively to the commercial market. As a result, launch prices for new drugs could be more expensive, and it will also lead to less companies willing to invest the time and money for research and development for drugs to treat and cure patients. Studies have estimated the impact of this package will lead to as many as 135 fewer drug treatments, and that price controls could put over 104 current studies at risk of being cancelled.

"Unfortunately, we expect to see less innovation and fewer cures, particularly for patients with a rare disease or a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as a result of this reckless law" said Congressman Bilirakis. "The hope for better treatments and a cure lies in more research and development from both the public and private sector, and this takes us in the opposite direction."