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Collins Pushes Committee To Address Prescription Drug Issues

Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is urging fellow members of the Senate Health Committee to approve legislation tackling the high cost of prescription drugs.

Collins wants to limit the practice of drug companies extending patent protection for life-saving drugs, keeping prices higher.

“This monopoly is being used to protect profits rather than patients and R&D, development of new drugs," she said, "and this is something we need to take a look at.”

Collins is also concerned about some drug makers charging different prices for the same drug depending on whether it's purchased with cash or through insurance.

“Consumers who don’t use their insurance and pay cash in order to save money find that they are in the situation where insurance won’t allow them to apply their purchase to their deductible,” she said.

The committee is considering several bills addressing drug prices that Collins says should be sent to the floor for a vote.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.