Member of Congress, a physician, says high drug costs are forcing patients to skip medications

An unidentified member of Congress, who identified themself as a physician and a military veteran, said in remarks to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that patients are skipping doses, splitting pills or going without medications because they cannot afford cheaper alternatives.

"This should never happen in The United States Of America," the speaker said, describing clinical encounters in which patients could not find a less expensive substitute despite searching the available data sets.

The speaker framed the problem as systemic, saying the public conversation about drug pricing has been "overly simplistic," with manufacturers blaming pharmacy benefit managers, PBMs blaming manufacturers, and insurers blaming both. "They just know they're paying too much, all the while seeing their premiums rise every year," the speaker said.

The transcript contains no formal motions, votes or specific policy proposals tied to these remarks. The speaker emphasized the human impact — patients foregoing prescribed therapy — and framed the divide in the debate as one that currently leaves patients bearing the cost.

No additional context, such as bill numbers or specific legislative actions, was recorded in the provided transcript.