Congresswoman Scholten Introduces Two Health Care Bills To Lower Prescription Drug Prices and Improve Access to Care

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) introduced two bills to bring down health care costs for West Michigan families: the Fair Prescription Pricing Act of 2026, which caps what patients pay out of pocket for prescription drugs, and the Local Health Care Protection Act of 2026, which protects local hospitals from losing drug discount eligibility because of federal Medicaid cuts.

"Too many Americans are forced to choose between filling a prescription or paying for other necessities," said Congresswoman Scholten. "These bills are about lowering costs and protecting the patients, families, and local hospitals caught in the middle. No patient should have to skip a prescription because they cannot afford it, and no hospital should have to shoulder unsustainable costs. I'm fighting to make sure hardworking Americans can afford the health care they need and deserve."

Under current law, a patient's out-of-pocket cost for a prescription can sometimes exceed the actual average price of the drug itself, largely because of how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and insurers structure cost-sharing behind the scenes. The Fair Prescription Pricing Act would close that gap by barring group health plans and insurers from charging any deductible, coinsurance, or copayment for an in-network pharmacy drug above the drug's nationwide average price

TheLocal Health Care Protection Act protects hospitals from losing access to the 340B drug discount program because Medicaid cuts have shrunk their patient rolls. The 340B program, subsidized by drug manufacturers, allows hospitals to buy outpatient drugs at a discount and reinvest those savings into charity care and community health benefits - free and reduced-cost care, health screenings, mental health and addiction treatment, and other services that keep vulnerable patients covered. Qualifying for the 340B program requires serving a certain volume of Medicaid patients, a threshold some hospitals are now falling below because of Republicans' nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid. The bill locks in eligibility for any hospital that qualified for 340B as of July 3, 2025, through fiscal year 2030 - so local hospitals can keep their doors open and continue funding the charity care and health programs their patients rely on.

This reflects Congresswoman Scholten's ongoing effort to make life more affordable for American families. The Congresswoman is the co-chair and founder of the Lowering Cost Caucus, which brings together members of Congress to find real solutions to the affordability crisis squeezing communities across Michigan and the country.

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