Rep. Chuck Edwards voted for a major law that weakens Medicare’s power to lower drug prices and increases government spending. The law delays price negotiations for expensive drugs like Keytruda, which means Medicare and seniors pay higher prices for longer. The Congressional Budget Office says this change will cost taxpayers up to $10 billion over ten years. Because the law adds to the deficit, it could also trigger automatic cuts to Medicare unless Congress passes a fix. Edwards is part of a Republican group that supports turning Medicare into a voucher-style system and rolling back cost-saving programs, which could make health care more expensive for seniors. He also supported new Medicaid paperwork rules that could make it harder for low-income seniors to get help paying their Medicare costs.
¶ Edwards voted for a law that weakens Medicare’s drug‑cost protections and raises Medicare spending
- On July 4, 2025, Edwards announced he voted for the Senate‑amended reconciliation package (widely called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). (edwards.house.gov)
- That bill became law (Public Law 119‑21) on July 4, 2025. (congress.gov)
- The law delays or exempts several high‑cost drugs from Medicare price negotiations (e.g., Merck’s Keytruda; J&J’s Darzalex), keeping prices higher for longer and reducing projected Medicare savings. (wsj.com)
- The Congressional Budget Office estimated the change would erase roughly $5 billion in expected savings and later revised the cost impact upward to about $6.7–$10.9 billion over ten years. (wsj.com)
- CBO reported the new law adds trillions to deficits and, absent a waiver, would trigger a Statutory PAYGO sequester that cuts Medicare by up to about $500 billion over the coming decade (4% a year beginning in FY2026). (apnews.com)
- In response to that risk, a Senate bill (S.2749) was introduced to exempt Medicare from any PAYGO sequestration caused by the law—an acknowledgment that the law, as written and supported by Edwards, puts Medicare at risk unless Congress passes a fix. (congress.gov)
- Edwards is a member of the Republican Study Committee (RSC). (chuckedwardsforcongress.com)
- The RSC’s FY2025 budget blueprint proposes converting Medicare into a premium‑support (voucher‑like) system and repealing key Inflation Reduction Act drug‑pricing provisions (including Medicare’s negotiation authority and caps), policies that would shift costs onto seniors. (mwcllc.com)
- Independent analyses find premium‑support designs would likely raise many beneficiaries’ premiums or out‑of‑pocket costs and move Medicare toward a two‑tier system. (cbpp.org)
¶ Edwards touts Medicaid “savings” and pro-paperwork policies that also undermine Medicare affordability for low‑income seniors
- In defending his vote, Edwards praised adding Medicaid work‑requirements and “savings,” even as experts warn such policies reduce coverage. Many Medicare enrollees rely on Medicaid for help with premiums and cost‑sharing through Medicare Savings Programs. (edwards.house.gov)
- Medicaid is a crucial backstop for 12+ million “dual‑eligible” Americans on Medicare with low incomes; weakening Medicaid protections harms Medicare beneficiaries’ ability to afford care. (kff.org)