[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 111 (Tuesday, September 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    GENERICS ARE CRITICAL IN ADDRESSING HEALTH CARE COST ESCALATION

  (Mr. CALVERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I do not have to tell Members of this body 
that health care inflation is out of control. Our constituents are 
telling us that every day.
  They are feeling the effects of medical costs that increased over 10 
percent in 1999 alone. The latest projections are that health care 
inflation will outpace overall inflation for many years to come. This 
poses a significant threat to American families, government programs, 
and employers who are shouldering a growing burden of the U.S. health 
care costs.
  One solution to this problem is to increase the availability of 
generic drugs. Generic drugs deliver the same health results as brand 
drugs, but generics cost 70 percent less on average than the brands 
they replace. The savings are significant.
  A new report released by Sanford University in Alabama shows that for 
every 1 percent increase in generic drug utilization, consumers, 
taxpayers and employers save over $1 billion in prescription drug 
costs. It is clear that the greater use of generic drugs must be a part 
of the plan to cure the Nation's ailing health care system.

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