A new Senate health package includes surprisingly aggressive drug pricing reforms

WASHINGTON — Two powerful Senate lawmakers laid out an unexpectedly ambitious plan to lower the price of prescription drugs Thursday.

It came as part of a highly anticipated health care package from Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the duo that helms the Senate health committee that is widely respected for bipartisan health-policy work.

As recently as Wednesday, aides and lobbyists said the package would be more focused on surprise medical bills than on drug pricing; they expected any policies aimed at the latter issue to be small, targeted, and uncontroversial.

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