WASHINGTON — - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation aimed at driving down the prices that seniors pay for prescription drugs, but the bill's future is clouded by President Donald Trump's threat of a veto and lack of support in the Senate. The Democrat-led chamber voted 230 to 192, largely along party lines, to approve the measure that would allow the Medicare insurance program for seniors to negotiate prices for dozens of prescription drugs, including insulin. The lower drug prices would also be available to private insurance companies. "I've seen grown men cry on the campaign trail because they cannot meet the prescription drug cost, whether they have a spouse that is ill or a child with a pre-existing conditions," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told reporters ahead of the vote. The bill would cap prices for the country's most expensive drugs using an international index and impose hefty fines for manufacturers that do not negotiate.

Source: International New York Times December 12, 2019 19:30 UTC