Washington, D.C. — April 18, 2025 — Commitment to Seniors, a project of American Commitment, applauds President Trump for signing an Executive Order titled “Lowering Drug Prices By Once Again Putting Americans First,” which aims to reduce prescription drug costs by eliminating the Biden Pill Penalty and reforming the opaque practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to ensure real savings for patients.
We commend President Trump for his dedication to addressing these critical issues with solutions that can lower prices while encouraging the development of new treatments and cures, in stark contrast to the Biden approach of imposing poorly designed price controls.
President Trump’s Executive Order supports eliminating the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Pill Penalty, which imposes price controls on small-molecule, easy-to-use medicines like pills and tablets after just nine years, compared to thirteen years for large-molecule drugs that are typically injections.
Congress should follow Trump’s lead by including the bipartisan Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act in reconciliation to eliminate the Biden Pill Penalty and protect the development of breakthrough treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and more chronic diseases.
The Trump administration’s Executive Order also aims to increase transparency and efficiency in our health care system by reining in Pharmacy Benefit Managers and their opaque business practices. These corporate health care giants have taken advantage of patients for far too long by exploiting their exemption from the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The executive order is a step in the right direction, but this issue also demands Congressional action.