Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Fact Or Pharma?
- This week, P4AD released a fact check breaking down six misleading claims found in pharma-funded ads, including falsehoods about the non-interference clause and the impact of Medicare negotiation. Through front groups and its own lobby groups, the drug industry has bankrolled at least $18 million in ad spending this year to attack reforms that would allow Medicare to negotiate prices. But patients aren’t letting Big Pharma get away with the lies; it’s clear that we must pass Medicare negotiation to lower drug prices and improve access to medications patients need. — (P4AD)
2. “The Tides Are Finally Shifting”
- In a new op-ed, Senator Klobuchar shares stories from Minnesotans who have struggled to afford prescription drugs and explains why this is the best opportunity in years to pass Medicare negotiation. “Not only does President Biden support [Medicare negotiation], he publicly endorsed it in a prime-time address and explicitly stated that he wanted to include it in the upcoming budget,” Senator Klobuchar writes. “Let’s use this political momentum and the power of 46 million seniors to finally get a fair deal.” — (Star Tribune)
3. Sounding Off: Letters For Lower Drug Prices
- Across the country, Americans continue to share their drug pricing stories and voice their support for Medicare negotiation in op-eds and letters to their local publications. “I was forced to ration my supply of insulin –– a drug that is as vital to me as water –– just to keep myself alive,” writes Iesha Meza of Arizona. Congress must pass Medicare negotiation, which “would bring relief to Americans, including the patients of color who are disproportionately impacted by these high prices,” explains Delaware state Rep. Stephanie Bolden. Nine out of 10 Americans agree: The time for Medicare negotiation is now. — (Arizona Mirror, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, The Washington Post, The Cumberland Times-News, The News Journal, Bay to Bay News, The Concord Monitor, The Buffalo News)
