Statement on Senate HELP Committee Hearing on Drug Pricing

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
American Hospital Association

The skyrocketing price of prescription drugs threatens both patient access to care and the ability of providers to deliver the highest quality of care to patients and communities. In addition to the hardship placed on patients and their families, hospitals bear a heavy financial burden when the cost of drugs increase, as they are not only major purchasers of drugs, but patients often end up in the hospital when they cannot afford to take their medications as prescribed. The AHA appreciates the Senate HELP Committee’s attention to this important issue and continues to urge Congress and the Administration to take action to reign in the rising cost of drugs. Specifically, we recommend action that increases competition, transparency, access, and value, while fostering innovation.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.