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AARP and U.S. Health Groups Write to President Obama on Concerns that TPP Would Undermine Access to Affordable Health Care

By AARP and U.S. Health Groups

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Dear Mr. President:

The organizations below are, like you, dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of public programs that provide access to affordable health care. But we write today to express our deep concern that provisions being advanced by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement will undermine this goal by limiting the ability of states and the federal government to moderate escalating prescription drug, biologic drug and medical device costs in public programs. We are also concerned that the final trade agreement will bind the U.S. to a 12-year market exclusivity period for brand-name biologic drugs, contrary to the Administration’s proposal in its most recent and previous budgets to reduce the exclusivity period.