Pallone: Negotiated Medicare Prescription Drug Prices Go into Effect January 1st

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today ahead of Medicare’s negotiated prices for prescriptions drugs going into effect on January 1, 2026: 

“Empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices has been more than 20 years in the making. It’s been a long road, we took on Big Pharma and Republican opposition, and now seniors will finally have access to these lower prescription drug prices beginning January 1st.  

“Predictably, the president is desperate to claim he’s somehow responsible for this achievement. It’s classic Donald Trump: taking credit for the hard work of others while trying to figure out a way to get rich off it. The truth is President Trump failed to lower drug prices and now he’s trying to enrich himself with his TrumpRx scheme. 

“Despite Republican opposition and meddling, Medicare drug price negotiation is a major victory for American consumers that will continue to deliver lower prices for years to come. In 2026 alone, seniors are expected to save about $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs. And we’re just getting started. House Democrats have introduced legislation to build on this program by negotiating more drug prices sooner, making those prices available to more people, and capping out-of-pocket costs. Democrats will keep fighting to lower Americans’ health care costs.”

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