Counter to provisions in HR-3, which The Day Editorial Board supports, I am writing to share some facts:

1. History tells us government price controls do not work! One HR-3 provision taxes companies if they disagree with the government-set price. The tax starts at 65% of sales and could go up to 95%. Note: Not on profit but on sales.

2. HR-3 is partisan and like recent partisan activities it ignores the U.S. Constitution, which protects against excessive taxes.

3. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates the provisions in HR-3 could result in up to 100 fewer new medications over the next decade.

4. Studies on the overall cost of health say HR-3 may achieve federal savings over a short term but overall costs would be 10 times greater.

A much more effective and better way to lower cost is HR-19.

1. Under development in Congress for some time. it is bipartisan.

2. Many of its cost-lowering provisions are market based by continuing to speed up generic medication approvals and eliminating federal created regulations that restrict innovation.

3. HR-19 promotes low-cost options for people and limits the ways companies game the price-setting system.

4. Increases price transparency.

John C. Parker

East Lyme