There’s a lot vying for attention in the nation’s Capitol this week, but AARP leaders, including a contingent from Colorado, asked leaders to keep the high cost of prescription drug prices in mind.

Dozens of AARP state directors and volunteers went to Washington, D.C., to make a plea for federal legislation to lower prices. The organization is asking for a cap on out-of-pocket costs for seniors, a crackdown on drug prices and price increases, an increase in competition, and more price transparency. 

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“The average annual cost of prescription drug treatment increased 57.8% between 2012 and 2017, while the annual income for a Coloradans only increased 12%,” AARP Colorado state director Bob Murphy said in a press release, citing AARP research.

“This week, we called on Colorado’s senators and members of Congress to enact popular, bipartisan, commonsense solutions that will provide long overdue relief, not just for older adults, but all Americans. It’s time to address the root cause of the problem: the outrageously high list prices set by drug manufacturers.”

Among the lawmakers who received AARP visits were Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner, as well as U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette and Scott Tipton.

AARP pointed out in its press release that its members helped pass state Senate Bill 5 this year to request federal permission to import lower cost drugs from Canada by 2022.