WASHINGTON – Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) released the following statement on colombian sex videosAug. 15 after the Biden-Harris Administration announced the results of the first round of Medicare negotiations for ten prescription drugs.

Rep. Doris Matsui

This new authority was given to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed by President Biden in 2022.

“For far too long, Big Pharma has locked lifesaving prescription drugs behind a barrier of absurdly high costs,” said Matsui. “Throughout the Sacramento region and across the nation, Americans are forced into impossible choices when facing these high prices – rationing medications, choosing between groceries or prescriptions, or just going without.

“There’s absolutely no reason Americans should pay prices that are three or four times higher than other countries. That’s why I fought hard to end the ban on Medicare negotiating directly with drug companies through the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Today, we are seeing the life-changing impact of these reforms. By forcing drugmakers to the table, we have secured real price reductions making essential prescription drugs affordable and accessible. These new prices will result in $1.5 billion in direct savings to Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs, and $6 billion in overall savings to the Medicare program.

“This is a historic step forward – but there is more work to do. Now it’s time to build upon this progress for our seniors and expand these savings to even more Americans.”

The drugs covered in the first round of negotiation are:

Eliquis, for preventing strokes and blood clots

Jardiance, for diabetes and heart failure

Xarelto, for preventing strokes and blood clots

Januvia, for diabetes Farxiga, for chronic kidney disease

Entresto, for heart failure

Enbrel, for arthritis and other autoimmune conditions

Imbruvica, for blood cancers

Stelara, for Crohn’s disease

Fias p; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFill insulin products, for diabetes

The negotiated prices for the 10 drugs will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. In 2023, approximately 8.8 million Medicare beneficiaries took one of the selected drugs. Spending on the ten selected drugs accounted for about 20% of total Part D spending.