My name is Dorothy Nerli and I am a resident of Willows, California. I was born here and attended local schools, and have lived and worked in various locations since then. But in 2001 I returned to this small city because I love this community and my family is here.
At age 85, I found that I need two inhalers to assist me in breathing. ProAir alone has a co-pay of $65, and the other inhaler, Spiriva, is $95. I retired with insurance, so I am currently free from the terror many experience when trying to pay for their medications. However, I am quite concerned for other senior citizens.
I take Spiriva most frequently, as it is the most helpful to me. I also take ProAir every four hours as a supplement. Occasionally I find I am faced with increased costs, like the time my Spiriva went up to $129. Spiriva helps to clear my airways, clearing out my lungs in order to make my breathing easier. I have scar tissue in my lungs due to several bouts of pneumonia. I need these inhalers, and am thankful that I can currently pay for them.
But I know that there are many other seniors in my community who are facing high costs for their inhalers and who cannot afford them. This is a horrible case of greed on the part of the manufacturers, who should lower the price of these medications. It shouldn’t cost seniors their rent or a healthy diet in order to be able to breathe.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a nearly $1 million campaign in support of the Department of Health and Human Services’ proposal to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B. Under the proposal, Medicare would pay only 26 percent more than other wealthy countries for drugs administered by physicians or in hospital settings — that’s compared to the 80 percent more it pays today. But Big Pharma is attacking the proposal because the changes could actually rein in outrageous drug prices. Patients For Affordable Drugs Now’s campaign will include digital advertisements, patient fly-ins, polling, and videos featuring patients who stand to access more affordable drugs under the proposal.
“American patients pay far more than people in other countries for prescription drugs, and it’s just plain wrong,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Out-of-control drug prices force hard working Americans to choose between groceries and their medications. HHS has a promising plan to use an International Pricing Index to bring U.S. drug prices more in line with drug prices in other wealthy countries. We’re standing up in support of this change because America’s prescription drug pricing system is broken, and patients need change now.”
The nationwide ads on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google will urge Americans to contact their senators and representatives in support of the HHS Part B demonstration (examples below).
According to a recent poll, voters support the HHS proposal to lower drug prices by a
71-point margin (80 percent support vs. 9 percent oppose). Majorities from both parties agree that Democrats and Republicans in Congress should support the proposal.
Importantly, Americans find Big Pharma’s claim that the proposed reforms would hinder patient access to be wrong. Eight in 10 voters believe the proposal will result in better careor have no impact on the care they receive. That’s bolstered by the fact that nine out of 10 big pharmaceutical companies actually spend more on advertising and marketing than on research and development, according to the Washington Post. There is no evidence the proposed Part B changes would impact patient access to drugs unless drug corporations withhold drugs from patients.
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now recently released a petition signed by more than 1,500 patient advocates urging the administration to move forward with the proposal to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B. The letter was accompanied by a video featuring Ruth Rinehart, a patient with primary immune deficiency from Florida, and Mike Gaffney, a resident of Washington State who lives with a rare form of multiple myeloma called POEMS syndrome. In the video, the patients speak directly about what the Part B changes would mean for them.
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WASHINGTON, DC –– By a 71-point margin, voters support the Department of Health and Human Services’ proposal to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B by implementing an International Pricing Index (80 percent support vs. 9 percent oppose). Majorities from both parties believe Democrats and Republicans in Congress should support the proposal that would lower prices for infused drugs administered in physician offices and hospitals.Importantly, 8 in 10 voters believe the proposal will result in better care or have no impact on the care they receive. Click here to read the poll.
Support for the proposed Medicare Part B reforms are widely popular.
Voters say drug prices are too high and both Congress and the President should do more to lower them.
“Voters in this country are clamoring for reforms to lower drug prices and they want officials in Washington to take action to bring prices more in line with other wealthy nations,” said David Mitchell, a Medicare beneficiary, cancer patient, and the Founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs NOW. “This proposal will lower list prices and out-of-pocket costs for patients.”
75 percent of voters support—and 50 percent strongly support—the element of the proposal that will change the way doctors are paid to administer the drugs from a percentage to a fixed fee, thereby eliminating the incentive to prescribe more expensive drugs.
The telephone survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted by GS Strategy Group from December 11-13, 2018. 50 percent of the interviews were completed via cell phone. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
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My name is Erika Garnto. I’m 48 years old and I’m from Highland Lakes, NJ. I’ve had two bouts of breast cancer; I was diagnosed the first time five years ago, and again more recently late last summer. I also suffer from diabetes, asthma and fibromyalgia.
During the time of my first breast cancer diagnosis, I worked as a practice administrator for a dental office. I was able to see firsthand, and unfortunately experience myself, the struggle that some patients go through to afford their medications while trying to make ends meet.
I spend about $24,000 a year on medications; I find myself at times having to skip doses to stretch my medications and maxing out my credit card to afford them.
My family helps me push forward, but what I’m up against is impossible –– and no one should have to go through this.
After recently learning that Bob Hugin, a former drug company CEO, is running for Senate in my state, I was taken aback.
He made $140 million by repeatedly raising the price of a cancer drug, Revlimid. Patients are going into debt to afford this drug.
How could a man that profited from the lives of so many sick people now claim to want to represent them?
Such a person could never have the welfare of New Jerseyans at heart. Electing Bob Hugin would be a mistake.