[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 7 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRICE CAPS FOR EPIPENS
(Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I introduced the EPIPEN Act to cap
the cost of any two-pack epinephrine auto-injector to $60 for folks
with private health insurance.
A few years ago, I had a life-threatening allergic reaction and had
to use an expired EpiPen that I hadn't replaced due to the sky-high
cost. If it wasn't for the EMTs, I would have died that night. They can
cost more than $650, even after insurance.
I am not alone. I heard from an American who can't afford to purchase
enough EpiPens so that way her kid can have one in all the places they
need it: their backpack, the school nurse, at daycare, at home, and in
the car.
I heard from an American who keeps four expired EpiPens in the hopes
that they will have enough active medication to save his life one day.
I heard from an American who hasn't filled a prescription in the past
decade despite having severe allergies. She works in the medical field.
Folks, it is plain and simple: It doesn't have to be this way. We
need Congress to step in, look out for working families, and cap these
prices for lifesaving medications.
____________________