If we can get a ship out of the Suez Canal, we can lower drug prices.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
- Presidential Promises
- During a Politico interview, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said the administration’s upcoming American Family Plan will involve measures to lower health care costs, “particularly around prescription drugs.” It’s an encouraging sign that President Biden, who campaigned on the commitment of bringing down drug prices, intends to make good on his promise.— (Politico; watch at 22:18)
2. Congressional Movement On Drug Pricing
- Members of Congress are in discussions to include Medicare negotiation for lower drug prices in a legislative package later this year. This is an exciting moment for patients burdened with high prices and proves that this year we have a real chance to reform our broken drug pricing system. Lawmakers must work together and deliver urgently needed change for patients across the country. — (The Hill)
3. We’re Fired Up
- This week, Connecticut advocate Jay Gironimi and Oregon advocate Michael Nielsen made compelling cases for passing drug pricing legislation in their respective states. “There is plenty of room for both innovation and affordability. Other industries have to balance the two, but drug companies have patents on products we literally can’t live without. Our misfortunes build their fortunes,” Gironimi writes. “We cannot let them continue to exploit the lack of regulation on their industry — padding their profits and forcing those who need prescriptions to accept unaffordable price increases or suffer without those drugs,” Nielsen explains.— (The Connecticut Mirror, The Bend Bulletin)
4. Our Voices Will Prevail
- Big Pharma knows that lawmakers are serious about passing legislation to lower drug prices, and the industry is intensifying its lobbying efforts to oppose important policy proposals like Medicare negotiation. Patients can’t compete with drug companies’ lobbying war chests, but pharma can’t match our powerful stories championing our right to affordable prescription drugs.— (Center for Responsive Politics)
5. “A Responsibility To Take Action”
- In an op-ed, Colorado state legislators Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Julie Gonzales lay out their plan to reduce drug prices for Coloradans by establishing a prescription drug affordability board. The board would have the power to create upper payment limits for high-priced drugs. “Prescription drugs don’t work if we can’t afford to buy them, and it’s time to level the playing field for families.” — (Colorado Politics)