Bill Would Reduce Cost Of Prescriptions Capitol Comments

Senator Robert Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over national health care policy, and Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act – vitally important bipartisan legislation to tackle one of the biggest drivers of the high cost of prescription drugs, particularly for senior adults on Medicare. This builds on Sen. Menendez’s other legislative efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs for patients at the pharmacy counter.

The Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act would ensure that patients can finally benefit from lower-cost products instead of being forced to pay for higher-priced drugs solely because of pricing gimmicks used by pharmacy benefit

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Continued From Page 4 Devil on his Bordentown estate.

Weird New Jersey has a collection of Jersey Devil stories, including one related by Sonny D., who said he was at a drive-up in Bayville when an immense figure caught Sonny’s attention, sprinting across Route 9. It resembled the iconic portrayals of the Jersey Devil - a tailless, furless creature with visible ribs and an elongated head with short, flattened ears. Its towering managers (PBMs), the drug pricing middlemen. This legislation would clearly establish pricing “tiers” to separate lower-cost generic drugs and biosimilar products from name-brand drugs so that patients pay less out of pocket for truly lower-priced drugs, therefore incentivizing prices to drop for patients.

“I’m proud to be working with Sen. Lankford on this bipartisan solution, which takes on PBM discriminatory formulary practices that unfairly drive up the costs of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare Part D,” said Menendez. “I am committed to lower costs for my constituents and Americans all across the country at the pharmacy counter, and this legislation is another step towards reforming PBMs so they cannot continue gaming the system on the backs of patients.”

The Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act requires:

• Medicare Part D to cover a generic or biosimilar if it costs less than its name-brand counterpart.

• Generic drugs or biosimilars to be placed on a generic/biosimilar formulary pricing stature almost reached ten feet. Meanwhile, located just a few miles away from the alleged legendary birthplace of the Jersey Devil, JD’s Pub & Grille proudly pays homage to its namesake.

Staff members interviewed at the establishment were unable to pass on accounts of close encounters with the Jersey Devil, providing no recent sightings or experiences to fuel the legend.

Nevertheless, patrons Jim and Barb Ryan have embraced the local folklore wholeheartedly. Their admiration for the tier and name-brand drugs to be placed on a brand tier, with the generic tier having a lower insurance cost-sharing requirement for patients than the name-brand tier.

• A new tier for specialty generics or biosimilars that would also have a lower insurance cost-sharing requirement for patients.

Sen. Menendez has long advocated for creating a more affordable health care system for every New Jerseyan and Americans across the country. Last year, he helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare, and he authored aprovision that also capped Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 a year.

Earlier this month, Sen. Menendez, alongside Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Okla.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), led the introduction of the Patients Before Middlemen (PBM) Act to delink the compensation of PBMs from drug price and utilization in order to better align incentives that will help lower prescription drug costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. At a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, the Senator pressed

Jersey Devil is evident as they adorned the rooftop of their home’s Tiki Bar with a captivating neon representation of the creature.

As the belief in the Jersey Devil persists, and the fascination continues to grow, the search for answers intensifies. Whether through books, the dedication of paranormal enthusiasts, or the spotlight of television shows, the legend of the Jersey Devil remains firmly embedded in local folklore. An enduring interest in the mystical creature has even led to the formation the witnesses about the impacts vertical integration of PBMs, pricing transparency, and insurer consolidation have on health care consumers. In March, Sen. Menendez questioned witnesses during a Senate Finance Committee about the impact PBMs have on the prescription drug supply chain and how their warped incentive structure drives up prices for patients and consumers. The Senator emphasized how PBMs prefer prescription drugs with a higher list price versus those with a lower list price because they can obtain larger rebates. PBMs do this even though the patient would pay significantly less if they selected the drug with the lower list price. of dedicated groups determined to search out and uncover the truth behind the myth.

This April, Sens. Wyden and Crapo released a legislative framework to address PBMs and issues with the prescription drug supply chain. This framework aims to modernize and enhance federal prescription drug programs, with the goal of reducing drug costs for patients and taxpayers. Sen. Menendez will work to include the PBM Act and the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act in any drug pricing package that the Senate considers.

“I can summarize this whole Jersey Devil story with one sentence,” said Regal in an interview. “It’s not about a monster; it’s about the history of human hatred and fear.”

Regal and his Kean University colleague Dr. Frank J. Esposito have written a book called “The Secret History of the Jersey Devil,” published by John Hopkins University Press. It is available in paperback and as an e-book.

Litt le Egg Harbor-Tuckerton Hometown Hero

Bert Politoski Honored

LITTLE EGG HARBOR – Hometown heroes like Bert Politoski deserve special recognition, and that’s just what Seacrest Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center had in mind when he was being discharged from there after his recovery from a recent knee surgery. The Little Egg Harbor skilled nursing facility partnered with local leadership, including Mayor of Tuckerton Susan Marshall and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12173 to honor Politoski for his military service and commitment to preserving the environment.

Politoski’s story is a unique one. Well known and beloved in the Little Egg Harbor-Tuckerton area, he has dedicated himself to walking 20 miles a day since 1989, picking up nearly 2,000 pounds of trash along the way. Politoski, who was a West Point graduate and rose to the rank of Captain serving at Fort Dix, has walked over 200,000 miles, which is the equivalent of more than eight times around the earth.

A seven-minute-mile runner in his youth, Politoski had knee replacement surgery in April, choosing Seacrest for his rehabilitation and recovery. He knew it well as his mother had previously stayed there. “I have always said that what makes this area so special are the people,” said Politoski. “I certainly felt that here at Seacrest and am touched by all the recognition.”

During Seacrest’s recognition event, Bonnie Beau of the VFW presented Politoski with a Proclamation “For Meritorious and Distinguished Service in Furthering the Aims and Ideals of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.” Also in attendance were Little Egg Harbor Committee Member Ken Laney, Police Chief James Hawkins, Captain Michael Hart, Lieutenant Thomas Thornton and Ken Hagerman of the VFW, as well as Seacrest leadership.

“Thanks to my rehab at Seacrest, I plan to get back to my walks and helping preserve the natural beauty of our area,” said Politoski. He credits the entire team at Seacrest for his recovery with particular recognition to Laura Jones, life enrichment assistant; Mark Collins, rehab director; Kim Hoff man, director of admissions; Samantha Brown, CNA; and Donna Hickman, social worker.

Located at 1001 Center Street, Seacrest provides post-hospital care, short-term rehab and long-term residential care. The 171-bed skilled nursing facility, which is undergoing a multi-million-dollar enhancement, carries a five-star designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for both overall quality and quality of resident care. More information on the facility and its programming can be found at seacrestrehabhc.com.