HDA testifies at house hearing on health care affordability

WASHINGTON — Today, HDA president and CEO Chester “Chip” Davis testified before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee at a hearing on “Lowering Healthcare Costs: Examining the Healthcare Supply Chain.” In his testimony, Davis reaffirmed the critical role of distributors in the pharmaceutical supply chain and called on the subcommittee to explore the challenging reimbursement dynamics now facing providers. 

“While we can agree that there is need for reform that benefits the patient and eases burdens on the provider, reforms should not come at the expense of the efficiency, security or reliability that exists in the pharmaceutical supply chain … Without security infrastructure and logistics capacity, accomplishing this would become challenging and costs would increase.

“Above all, we ask that [the subcommittee] examine the challenges that providers face being reimbursed at an appropriate level. For both physicians and pharmacists, the reimbursement dynamics are challenging and put their sustainability at risk. Without intervention, providers across the U.S. may suffer, increasing healthcare deserts and gaps in care.

“While distributors do not decide what is prescribed or what is dispensed, the list price of a medicine, or the price paid by a patient at the point of care, the core mission of a distributor is to ensure that whatever medicine is prescribed is available when and where it is needed. HDA and the distribution industry stand ready to continue to meet this challenge, recognizing the importance to the millions of Americans who depend on prescription medicines for their well-being every day.”

The full testimony is available here. To learn how distributors support access to safe and affordable pharmaceuticals, read HDA’s recent blog.