Health Care

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.) introduced bipartisan legislation today to ensure pharmacists are able to advise patients when there may be a better, more affordable out-of-pocket alternative to what is covered by their insurance plan. Currently, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) are able to include requirements in contracts that prevent pharmacists from providing advice to their patients on the best and cheapest out-of-pocket alternatives to medications covered under insurance. This is... Read more

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA) today praised President Trump's Executive Order to improve access, increase choices, and lower costs for health care. "Thanks to dysfunction in the Senate, Congress has not been able to deliver on our promise to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a patient-centered system." said Carter. "While I would have preferred these moves come from Congress, I am grateful President Trump acted today to deliver relief to Americans suffering under Obamacare. This E... Read more

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01) released the following statement after the United States Senate failed to pass legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare: "I have been frustrated with Washington since the first afternoon I arrived here. Unfortunately, that frustration has hit a new high with the Senate's failure to act. The House came together to pass legislation that would make health care more accessible and affordable. Instead of accepting the offer from the House to come together... Read more

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01), a member of the Health Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement today calling for a vote on the repeal of Obamacare: "The games have gone on for too long. While I am proud of the legislation we passed in the House to repeal and replace Obamacare, it’s clear it does not have the necessary votes in the Senate. We cannot afford to let Washington gridlock derail our efforts and fail the American people. “Tod... Read more

Today, Representatives Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Georgia) and Chris Stewart (R-Utah) led a bipartisan group of 65 Members of Congress urging the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to rescind their decision that restricts state-licensed pharmacies from compounding prescription drugs for health care providers to use in their offices. Drug compounding is used to prepare personalized prescriptions for patients or for physicians to use for procedures in their offices. Compounding pharmacists can combi... Read more

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01) released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their score of the American Health Care Act (AHCA): “One of the many reasons Obamacare failed is that it focused on forcing Americans into coverage they did not want and could not afford. Our plan instead is designed to empower Americans to access quality, affordable, and patient-centered health care and the CBO report released today confirms it will deliver this relie... Read more

This week, Congress sent legislation crafted by a House-Senate Conference Committee to combat opioid abuse and addiction to the president's desk to be signed into law. As a member of the Conference Committee, Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01) played an integral role in creation of the legislation. "As the only pharmacist in Congress, I am grateful to have been a member of this Conference Committee to provide real solutions to the opioid epidemic plaguing our nation,"said Carter. "The a... Read more

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Ga-01) discussed opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse on C-SPAN's Washington Journal as a member of the House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve differences over the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. During the segment, Carter answered questions from live callers and shared the gravity of this epidemic from the perspective of the only pharmacist in Congress: "The leading cause of accidental death now in America is opioid abuse, it’s drug ab... Read more

Today, Representatives Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) introduced legislation to better inform patients, doctors, and pharmacists on prescription drug dispensing. The Empowering Pharmacists in the Fight Against Opioid Abuse Act, H.R. 5314, would require federal agencies to improve training programs and materials to better educate pharmacists and health professionals on the circumstances under which they are allowed by law to decline to fill a prescription for a controlle... Read more

Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (Ga-01) released the following statement today after voting to override the President’s veto of legislation to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. Carter voted in support of the Veto Override on the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act. The legislation failed to receive the two-thirds of votes necessary to override President Obama’s recent veto of the legislation. “It is a grave disappointment that the House could not garner en... Read more