¶ Overview
Schweikert repeatedly voted NO on lowering prescription drug costs for seniors and lowering the cost of insulin. He voted three separate times against allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs for seniors. The Inflation Reduction Act, which Schweikert voted against, benefited more than 164,000 Arizonans.
¶ Schweikert Repeatedly Voted Against Allowing Medicare To Negotiate The Prices Of Prescription Drugs
¶ Schweikert Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act, Which Allowed Medicare To Negotiate Drug Prices, And Against Capping Insulin Costs
2022: Schweikert Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act, Which Required The Department Of Health And Human Services To Negotiate Fair Prices With Drug Manufacturers For Certain Medicare-Eligible, Brand-Name Drugs Without Generic Competition. In August 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against concurring in the Senate amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which would “require the Health and Human Services Department to negotiate a ‘maximum fair price’ with drug manufacturers for certain Medicare-eligible, brand-name drugs that do not have generic competition.” The vote was on a motion to concur. The House concurred with the Senate by a vote 220-207, thus the bill was sent to President Biden for final signage. President Biden signed the bill and it ultimately became law. [House Vote 420, 8/12/22; Congressional Quarterly, 8/12/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5376]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against The Affordable Insulin Now Act, Which Required Private Insurances And Medicare To Cover Certain Insulin Products, Prohibit Deductibles For Insulin, And Cap Cost-Sharing For Such Insulin Products Beginning In 2023. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would “require private health insurance and Medicare to cover certain insulin products and limit cost-sharing requirements for such products for plans beginning in 2023. Specifically, it would require private insurance plans to cover at least one of each dosage form of each type of insulin, such as short-acting, long-acting and premixed insulin; prohibit the plans from applying a deductible for the insulin products; and cap cost-sharing for the insulin products at the lesser of $35 or 25 percent of the plan's negotiated price for the product per 30-day supply. For Medicare plans, it would similarly prohibit the application of a deductible for covered insulin products and cap copayments at $35 per 30-day supply.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 232-193, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The bill was passed by the Senate and both chambers are resolving differences. The bill was turned into the Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 and that version ultimately became law. [House Vote 102, 3/31/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/31/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6833]
- The Measure Would Cap Insulin Costs At Either $35 Per Month Or 25% Of A Health Insurance Plan’s Negotiated Costs Beginning In 2023. According to NPR, “The Affordable Insulin Now Act would cap insulin prices at either $35 a month or 25% of an insurance plan’s negotiated price — whichever is lower. The legislation would take effect in 2023 but its fate in the Senate remains unclear.” [NPR, 3/31/22]
- Opponents Of The Bill Claimed The Insulin Cap Would Not Be Enough To Address The Underlying Issue Of Increased Prescription Drug Costs. According to NPR, “Critics of the bill argue the cap alone doesn’t do enough to solve the underlying problem of rising prescription drug prices.” [NPR, 3/31/22]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Directing The Department Of Health And Human Services To Negotiate Lower Prescription Drug Prices For Insulin And Certain Medicare-Eligible Drugs That Lack Generic Competition. In November 2021, Schweikert voted against the Build Back Better act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, “require the Health and Human Services Department to negotiate a ‘maximum fair price’ for insulin and select Medicare-eligible, brand-name drugs that do not have generic competition.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 220-213. [House Vote 385, 11/19/21; Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5376]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against The House Drug Price Negotiation Bill For Medicare Programs. In December 2019, Schweikert voted against a motion that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, “allow the Health and Human Services Department to negotiate prices for certain drugs under Medicare programs and would make a number of modifications to Medicare programs related to drug costs and plan benefits.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 230-192. [House Vote 682, 12/12/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/12/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.3]
- The Bill Allowed HHS To Negotiate The Prices Of Prescription Drugs Covered By Medicare And Penalize Companies That Do Not Comply. According to Vox, “Under current law, the Health and Human Services secretary is barred from engaging in negotiations for prescription drugs covered by Medicare […] The final bill enables the HHS secretary to negotiate the prices of as many as 250 drugs annually. Additionally, it would penalize companies that do not negotiate with HHS with a fine starting at 65 percent of a drug’s gross sales from the prior year. For every quarter that the company does not engage, the penalty goes up by 10 percentage points, until it hits 95 percent of a drug’s gross sales.” [Vox, 12/12/19]
¶ The Inflation Reduction Act Would Lower Prescription Drug Costs For More Than 164,000 Arizonans
The Inflation Reduction Act Would Lower Prescription Drug Costs For More Than 164,000 Arizonans Who Relied On Medicare. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Arizona, Accessed 12/4/25]