Over Half Of US Voters Want Gov't. To Negotiate Drug Prices For Elderly Americans - Poll

A 56 percent majority of US voters favor proposals to allow Medicare, the national health insurance program for seniors, to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical suppliers, however support among Republicans plunges once they are told one such plan is part of Democrats' $3.5 trillion budget bill, a new poll by Morning Consult revealed on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2021) A 56 percent majority of US voters favor proposals to allow Medicare, the national health insurance program for seniors, to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical suppliers, however support among Republicans plunges once they are told one such plan is part of Democrats' $3.5 trillion budget bill, a new poll by Morning Consult revealed on Wednesday.

"The (Democrat) drug pricing plan, which would allow the Federal government to directly negotiate the prices of some prescription drugs through Medicare, is a key sticking point for lawmakers as they scramble to iron out the $3.5 trillion package," a press release explaining the poll said.

In conducting the survey, Morning Consult first told participants of a Congressional Budget Office estimate that 2019 version of the bill approved by the House would pressure drugmakers to lower prices and reduce federal spending by $456 billion, but could also result in fewer drugs introduced in the United States over time, the release said.

When provided with that context, 56 percent of voters said they were in favor of the plan, including 73 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of Republicans, the survey found.

Meanwhile, 36 percent of Republicans said they do not support the proposal in general - but their opposition hardened to 48 percent and Republican support dropped to from 42 percent to 28 percent when they were asked whether it should be included in Democrats' budget bill, the release said.

Overall, half of voters still supported the plan's inclusion in the reconciliation package, the release said.

The US House of Representatives plans to vote first on a separate $1 trillion infrastructure bill that has support from lawmakers in both parties before taking up the more contentious $3.5 billion budget.

Democrats face pressure to trim the size of the larger package given uncertain prospects of Senate approval.