Pappas Introduces the Protect Patients from Costly Care Act

This week Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) is introducing new legislation in the House, the Protect Patients from Costly Care Act, to repeal changes to Medicaid cost-sharing requirements and handouts to Big Pharma in the Republicans’ reconciliation tax and spending bill. Representatives Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Cleo Fields (LA-06, John B. Larson (CT-01), André Carson (IN-07), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), and Angie Craig (MN-02) are original cosponsors of the legislation.

The bill would repeal the “sick tax” imposed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Act (OBBBA), which imposes additional out-of-pocket fees on certain Medicaid enrollees before they can see a provider, and allows providers to refuse to administer care if they are unable to pay the fee. The bill would also repeal provisions in the OBBBA that exclude certain drugs from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, allowing pharmaceutical companies to evade accountability for high-priced prescription drugs.

“President Trump and Republicans in Congress weren’t satisfied with simply cutting Medicaid funding, forcing providers to close and kicking millions off their health care. They also had to make sure that their legislation would force Medicaid patients to pay a ‘sick tax’ and help Big Pharma evade accountability for making drug prices unaffordable,” said Congressman Pappas. “We won’t stand for it. If Republicans are serious about addressing high costs, then they should join us to move this legislation forward, protect patients from high costs, and protect the progress we have made to ensure life-saving medications are accessible to everyone who needs them.”

This legislation is supported by Protect Our Care and Patients for Affordable Drugs Now.

“Congressman Pappas is taking an important step to roll back some of the most harmful provisions of Donald Trump and Republicans’ health care cuts,” said Leslie Dach, Chair, Protect Our Care. “Because of Republicans, prescription drug prices and out-of-pocket costs are set to skyrocket for those who can least afford it, leaving them nowhere to turn for life-saving medications and care. The Protect Patients From Costly Care Act is a vital step toward combating the GOP War on Health Care and protecting the health and dignity of millions.”

Merith Basey, Executive Director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, said, “The Protecting Patients from Costly Care Act is a targeted fix that restores integrity to the Medicare Negotiation Program — which is supported by Americans across party lines. We thank Congressman Pappas for standing with patients over Big Pharma.”

Background: 

Congressman Pappas is a steadfast advocate for lowering health care and prescription drug costs, expanding access to care, strengthening the industry’s workforce and training programs, and protecting vital programs that Granite Staters rely on, including Medicare and Medicaid. Pappas fought to pass historic legislation that finally allowed the government to negotiate for lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, capped the cost of insulin at $35, and capped out-of-pocket medical expenses for Medicare recipients.

Pappas voted against the Republicans’ reconciliation bill every time it came to the floor. Pappas filed two amendments to the Senate-passed Republican reconciliation bill to protect Granite Staters’ access to Medicaid and food assistance and to prevent Congress from passing the burden of cuts to these programs onto the states; neither was adopted.

Earlier this year, Pappas helped introduce the Audio-Only Telehealth Access Act, which would make Medicare’s coverage of audio-only telehealth services permanent, the Advancing Enrollment and Reducing Drug Costs Act, which would expand low-income seniors' access to prescription drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit program, also known as Medicare Part D, the Rural Health Innovation Act, which would strengthen access to care in rural areas by establishing a competitive grant program for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to increase staff, equipment, technology, and more, and the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act, which would repeal the federal ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.