Pappas Leads 50 Members Demanding Trump Keep Prescription Drugs Affordable for Aging Americans

This week Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 50 of his colleagues in calling on Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz to immediately reverse the planned termination of the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration at the end of 2026.

“More than 17,000 people in New Hampshire have lost health coverage this year because the Trump administration has allowed prices to skyrocket for ACA plans and cut Medicaid coverage for our most vulnerable families. Now they’re ending a program that helps retired Americans afford life-saving prescription drugs,” said Congressman Pappas. “Big pharmaceutical companies are raking in profits while Granite Staters ration their medicine and this administration is making a bad situation worse by eliminating a program that keeps medication affordable and money in people’s pockets. It’s despicable, and the administration must reverse this decision immediately.”

359,292 Granite State adults, 25.4% of New Hampshire’s 2025 population, rely on Medicare either as their primary source of health coverage or in combination with another health insurance plan. Reversing the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration will cause health care costs to skyrocket, costs that have already doubled or even tripled due to the Trump Administration’s elimination of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits.

Read the full letter here and below: 

Dear Administrator Oz,

We write to urge the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse the termination of the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration. The demonstration program has stabilized drug prices for nearly 25 million people and CMS’s decision to end the demonstration puts affordability at risk during a time where seniors continue to face rising costs. 

Seniors and disabled beneficiaries have seen prices fall over the past three years as a result of this program. The base beneficiary premium has lowered, which is used to calculate individual plan premiums, and annual increases in monthly premiums have been limited. Since the rollout of the demonstration, enrollment increased from 22.8 million in 2024 to 24.9 million in 2026 and average monthly premiums reduced by $26 in 2025 and $16 in 2026. Lower costs and a rise in covered individuals indicate that the demonstration is working. Despite this fact, CMS has chosen to terminate the program amidst a cost of living crisis. 

We want to hold Part D sponsors and drug manufacturers accountable for the prices ultimately paid by beneficiaries, and we welcome the opportunity to work with you to address the underlying drivers of increased costs. Ending this demonstration without a plan to maintain lower costs does not solve these problems, but instead shifts the cost onto beneficiaries least able to afford them. Plan prices are expected to be made available in September and roughly 75% of current enrollees are likely to see their plan costs increase. Ahead of this, we ask that CMS reverse this decision and respond to the following:

1. CMS claims that insurers no longer need temporary stabilization payments, do you have evidence to support this claim? Has CMS publicly released any analyses, and if not, will it do so?

2. What analysis has CMS conducted on the impact of premium increases on individuals living on fixed incomes? If no analysis exists, please state so.

3. If premium increases exceed CMS’s expectations, what corrective actions will you take to help immediately? 

4. What data will be collected to evaluate how the termination of this program is impacting seniors and disabled individuals?

5. Did CMS consult beneficiary advocates, plan sponsors, or state insurance regulators before deciding to end the demonstration? If so, please identify them and describe what CMS heard.

As health care costs surge, pushing individuals off insurance due to unaffordability, we urge you to reinstate the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration immediately. We must do all that we can to protect lower prescription drug prices for those who need it most. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,