Four More Bilirakis Bills Pass – Advance to House Floor
Washington, DC - In this week’s Energy & Commerce Committee markup, members passed a total of 44 bills. Many of these proposals, including four of those authored by Congressman Gus Bilirakis, will help improve patient outcomes and provide enhanced consumer protections for all Americans. More information about each Bilirakis-authored measure is provided below. The next step for each of these proposals is consideration by the full House on the Floor.
The Cutting Copays Act would lower the cost of prescription drugs for the nation’s most vulnerable seniors by removing cost-sharing of generic medications for enrollees in Medicare Part D’s Low Income Subsidy Program. “Record inflation has caused spikes in the costs of basic goods and services which have hurt those on a fixed income the most,”said Congressman Gus Bilirakis. “Research shows us that we can help improve patient outcomes for our most vulnerable seniors by removing barriers to proper disease management and medication compliance. We can also reduce overall costs by incentivizing beneficiaries to choose cheaper generic, but just as effective, alternatives to expensive brand-name drugs. Seniors should never be forced to choose between buying groceries and buying their medications. By removing these copayments, we can help alleviate that burden.”
The Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act will improve patient outcomes and help avoid costly complications that often stem from this chronic illness by enhancing access in Medicare to education and diabetes self-management training services that have proven effective for beneficiaries. “By providing diabetes patients with these self-management resources, seniors will be empowered to take control of their own health and well-being, and we can help mitigate the negative impact this disease has on them and their families,” said Congressman Gus Bilirakis.
The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act aims to 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.
The TICKET Act will improve transparency in the entertainment industry by requiring all event ticket sellers to display the total ticket price—including all required fees—in any advertisement, marketing or promotional materials. This comprehensive package would ensure that consumers are able to see the full price of the ticket prior to checkout, and it prohibits other fraudulent and deceptive practices in the ticketing space. This will ensure that when American consumers are buying tickets (for concerts,plays, sporting events, etc.), they have full transparency throughout the process.