Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. New Ads: “Patients Can’t Wait Any Longer”
- P4ADNow launched two new ads this week in Arizona and West Virginia pushing for passageof the Build Back Better Act. The Arizona TV adfeatures two Arizona patients, Phoenix advocate Iesha Meza and Tucson advocate Brenda Dickason and calls on Senator Sinema to vote for the Build Back Better Act to lower prescription drug prices. The West Virginia radio ad highlights Senator Joe Manchin’s commitment to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for West Virginians, and asks him to pass the Build Back Better Act, especially as Americans are facing higherprices for everything right now. “Senator Manchin supports Medicare negotiation – and to get it done, we’re counting on him to pass the Build Back Better Act,” the ad says. “West Virginia patients can’t wait any longer.”— (P4ADNow, P4ADNow)
2. Letter To The Senate
- AARP and P4ADNow sent a letter to the Senate this week calling for the swift passage of Build Back Better and emphasizing the importance of rejecting any amendments that would weaken the drug pricing provisions. “Reducing drug prices is not an afterthought for the American people: It is the single most popular element of the Build Back Better plan,” the letter reads. “If prices for other products rose at the same rate as prescription drugs [over the past 15 years], a gallon of milk would now cost $13, and a gallon of gas would cost $12.20.” — (P4ADNow)
3. “I’m Tired,” Mr. President
- The White House released a video highlighting Sa’Ra Skipper, from Indianapolis, who met with President Biden last week. Both Sa’Ra and her younger sister were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. In college, they began sharing and rationing their insulin in order to be able to afford it. After rationing a dose in 2018, Sa’Ra’s sister nearly slipped into a coma because of diabetic ketoacidosis. “I’m tired,” Sa’Ra tells the president in the video. “I’m 26 years old, and I just feel like I haven’t been able to live my life or enjoy it.” the president replies, “It’s wrong…with your help, we’re going to get it done,” referring to the Build Back Better Act. — (@POTUS)
4. How Will BBB Help Patients
- P4ADNow’s David Mitchell penned an op-ed in Morning Consult that breaks down how the Build Back Better Act will lower drug prices and deliver relief to Americans who struggle to afford essential medicines. The importance of this historic legislation was emphasized by the House Oversight Committee’s recent report that identifies the need for structural reforms. Mitchell warns that Big Pharma’s fearmongering about this legislation is complete hogwash, and calls on the Senate to follow the House’s lead and resist efforts by the industry to weaken the bill in any way and swiftly pass it intact. “Millions of American lives depend on it.” — (Morning Consult)
5. Americans Rally Around BBB
- Patients, community members, leaders, and elected officials in Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia, and more are calling on Congress to pass the Build Back Better Act to lower drug prices now. “It is time for action,” said Clayton, whose daughter depends on insulin. “I urge them to stop procrastinating & think about their constituents,” Iesha, who lives with Type 1 diabetes, said of the Senate. “Now is his moment to deliver on his commitment by voting for the Build Back Better Act with the included drug pricing reforms,” Laurie of West Virginia writes of Senator Manchin in a letter to the editor. “We have the answer, we have the bill,” says Senator Merkley. Pass BBB now. — (TapInto, Dominion Post, Exponent Telegram, Spectrum News, Record Courier, Senior Spectrum, Chief News, Spectrum News)