PhRMA Statement on Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) issued the following statement today on passage of comprehensive health care reform and accompanying reconciliation legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives:

"We continue to believe that comprehensive health care reform will benefit patients and the future of America. That's why we have been involved in this important public policy debate for more than a year and why we support action by the House to approve the Senate-passed bill along with the amendments found in the reconciliation legislation.  

"The existing barriers to quality health care simply are not acceptable. Today's important and historic vote in the House will help to expand health care coverage and services to tens of millions of Americans who are uninsured and often forced to forego needed medical treatments.

"Our commitment to help pay for health care reform will require all of our companies to make some difficult choices moving forward – on top of already losing more than 150,000 jobs since 2007 because of the recession and other economic factors.

"But throughout this long process, we have been guided by a belief that all Americans should have access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage and services. This legislation, while not perfect, is a step in that direction.

"Even as we support health care reform legislation, we continue to have concerns about a number of issues including the overly broad powers of a non-elected Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), which could enact sweeping Medicare changes without action by Congress and would not be subject to judicial or administrative review. We look forward to working with Congress to address these concerns and to identify ways to contain medical costs without creating new barriers to quality health care.

"Most importantly, we must also take steps in the years ahead to support critically needed innovation, ensuring future medical advancements and breakthroughs. Americans deserve no less. New, cutting-edge medicines have dramatically increased life expectancy rates all across our nation and allowed patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. We remain totally committed to seeing this progress continue, benefiting Americans for generations to come."

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $45.8 billion in 2009 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.3 billion in 2009.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info

For more information on public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America