Without question our health care system is in a crisis and people are rightly demanding solutions. Many of the good people of East Tennessee continue to see their cost of medication skyrocket.  Bio-tech medicines are one of the fastest growing and most expensive types of drugs. Introducing fair competition for these medicines is essential to keep life saving treatments affordable.

That is why I am co-sponsoring H.R. 1038, the "Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act," which will create a pathway for the FDA to approve lower cost versions of bio-tech medicines. Bio-tech medicines often cost tens of thousands of dollars, and patients are denied access because the co-payments can reach thousands of dollars each year. These rising costs are also forcing increased burdens on employers, insurers, and the federal government. This legislation could save Tennesseans $75 million in its first year and $1.5 billion over ten years if passed.