He is fighting special interests to lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class.
Lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class.
Occurrences
He will continue that focus in 2024.
reintroduced the Patients Before Monopolies (PBM) Act with expanded bipartisan support to rein in drug pricing
introduced the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act, bipartisan legislation to expand Medicare beneficiaries’ access to more affordable prescription drugs
He is fighting special interests to lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class.
Evidence
"Jake is dedicated to protecting the Constitution and individual rights. He is fighting special interests to lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class."
Congress.gov shows H.R. 5378 was "Passed House (12/11/2023)" and that the bill requires PBMs to report rebates and fees, and prohibits spread-pricing for Medicaid payment arrangements.
The bill text says Rep. Auchincloss introduced H.R. 9096 on July 23, 2024, and it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and additional committees.
Congress.gov lists the bill's latest action as "12/17/2024 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health" and its status as "Introduced."
Rep. Jake Auchincloss and Rep. Diana Harshbarger introduced the Pharmacists Fight Back Act to tackle PBMs, described as driving up drug costs for seniors and taxpayers in federal healthcare programs.
Congress.gov records H.R. 9096 as introduced and referred; the latest action shown is referral to the Subcommittee on Health on 12/17/2024.
Congress.gov shows H.R. 5378 passed the House on 12/11/2023 and included PBM reporting and anti-spread-pricing provisions.
Campaign material said Auchincloss was fighting special interests to lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class.
The House Clerk records H.R. 5376 as passed on August 12, 2022, and lists Rep. Auchincloss, Democrat of Massachusetts, as voting Yea.
Public Law 117-169, enacted August 16, 2022, includes Subtitle B, Prescription Drug Pricing Reform, with a part titled Lowering Prices Through Drug Price Negotiation and a Drug Price Negotiation Program beginning with selected-drug price years starting in 2026.
The law limits Medicare Part D insulin cost-sharing for a month's supply to $35 for plan years 2023 through 2025, with a lesser-of formula beginning in 2026; it also limits coinsurance for insulin furnished through durable medical equipment under Part B to no more than $35 per month beginning July 1, 2023.
CMS says the Inflation Reduction Act changed the Part D benefit for 2025, including a lower annual out-of-pocket threshold of $2,000 and no cost sharing in catastrophic coverage after the threshold is reached.
CMS states that in 2026 IRA changes include negotiated prices taking effect for selected drugs, a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket threshold, and formulary inclusion requirements for drugs with maximum fair prices.
CMS lists selected drugs and negotiated maximum fair prices, says the first-cycle MFPs for 10 Part D drugs go into effect January 1, 2026, and says second-cycle MFPs for 15 Part D drugs go into effect January 1, 2027.
Congress.gov lists Rep. Auchincloss as a cosponsor of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, with a cosponsorship date of June 25, 2021.
Congress.gov records H.R. 9096, introduced by Rep. Auchincloss, as introduced and referred, with the latest listed action of referral to the Subcommittee on Health on December 17, 2024.
Auchincloss's House office announced that he introduced bipartisan legislation targeting PBM practices described as raising drug costs for seniors and taxpayers in federal health care programs.
Assessments
Auchincloss promised to lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class. In his first federal House term, he voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted August 16, 2022, which created Medicare drug-price negotiation and capped key Medicare prescription costs such as insulin and later Part D out-of-pocket exposure. Those senior-focused provisions are a concrete delivery of the core promise, with some implementation occurring in later years. His later PBM bills and cosponsorships reinforce candidate-specific effort, though they were not the enacted vehicles and the middle-class portion was less fully addressed than the Medicare senior provisions.
Auchincloss made a real legislative push on drug-price reduction, including introducing PBM-reform legislation and backing House-passed cost-lowering provisions, but the record shows no enacted law or demonstrated reduction in drug prices for seniors or the middle class by the end of the term. That makes this a serious but unsuccessful attempt rather than a delivered outcome.
Auchincloss plainly campaigned on lowering drug prices for seniors and the middle class. The record shows meaningful effort in office: he introduced the Pharmacists Fight Back Act and backed broader PBM and drug-cost reform through the House-passed Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. But the available evidence also shows his own bill remained only introduced and referred, and the broader House bill did not become law or produce documented implemented price reductions during the term. Under the scoring rule, a serious legislative attempt without achieving the promised outcome counts as never, with an effort badge.
The promise was to lower drug prices for seniors and the middle class, which requires an actual enacted or implemented cost-lowering outcome. The evidence shows Auchincloss made serious legislative efforts, including introducing H.R. 9096 and supporting House-passed PBM/drug-cost provisions in H.R. 5378, but the cited bills did not become law or otherwise produce the promised outcome during the term. Under the rule for serious attempts that fail to deliver, this is classified as never with an effort badge.