WASHINGTON, D.C. — From coast to coast, patients are speaking out, and Big Pharma is on the run. Over the last two weeks, from California to Maine, states have taken meaningful steps to protect patients from higher drug prices and crack down on Big Pharma’s price gouging. Take a look:
Oregon (HB 2658)
Maine (LD 1162, LD1272, LD 1387, LD1499)
California (AB 824)
Maryland (HB 768)
Massachusetts (HB 1133, SB 706)
“Momentum is building across the country,” said Ben Wakana, Executive Director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Patients are turning up at statehouses to tell lawmakers just how harmful high drug prices have become — their voices are seeding a movement.”
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AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine patients will urge legislators to hold drug corporations accountable for exorbitant price hikes and give the state power to negotiate lower prices during hearings today and Wednesday before the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan patient advocacy organization that takes no money from the pharmaceutical industry, is helping patients share their drug pricing stories in Maine, sending four patients to testify at this week’s hearings on a package of bills to lower prescription drug prices. Patients For Affordable Drugs Now also published a series of patient stories on its website to underscore the urgency of the drug pricing crisis in Maine.
“Drug corporations have a direct line into Maine’s state coffers and patients’ pockets, and it’s time for the legislature to act,” said Ben Wakana, Executive Director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We’ve heard from nearly 250 Mainers who are suffering under relentless prescription drug price hikes. We applaud consumer groups and the state legislature’s efforts to rein in drug prices, and we are proud patients are standing up against abusive pricing practices.”
Here’s how the pending legislation would benefit Mainers:
Testifying at the hearings today and Wednesday are:
Lori Dumont of Brewer: “My brother suffered ketoacidosis because he could not afford his insulin. Like so many others, his insulin costs were out of control. For both his long term and short term insulin he was paying about $1,500 a month. On a fixed income, high drug prices are literally a matter of life and death.”
Sabrina Burbeck of Old Town: “When my youngest son was 18 months old he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In order to survive, he relies on Humalog Insulin. One vial of Humalog costs $350.”
Glenda Smith of Kennebunk: “My Symbicort, Lostatin, Spiriva, and other medications cost me more than $1,200/month, not to mention the $5,000 we have to pay out of pocket before insurance even begins to pay its portion. That is not realistic on our fixed income. My drug costs alone are more than my entire Social Security check.”
Christina Raymond of Limestone: “In order to manage my disease, I require several medications –– Lupron, Tamoxifen, and Neulasta –– in addition to my regular chemo treatments. Lupron costs me $1,500 per month and my Neulasta runs $6,000 per shot.”
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BOSTON — Massachusetts patients will speak out against high drug prices tomorrow during testimony in favor of sweeping state reforms that would require drug corporations to justify exorbitant prices and give the state negotiation power on behalf of patients and taxpayers. Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a Washington, DC-based bipartisan patient advocacy organization that takes no money from the pharmaceutical industry, is helping patients share their drug pricing stories in Massachusetts, sending two patients to testify before the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing tomorrow and publishing a raft of patient stories on its website to underscore the urgency of the drug pricing crisis in Massachusetts.
“Drug corporations have a direct line into Massachusetts’ state coffers and patients’ pockets, and it’s time for the legislature to act,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We’ve heard from 265 Bay staters who are suffering under relentless prescription drug price hikes. We applaud Gov. Baker, consumer groups, and the state legislature’s efforts to rein in drug prices, and we are proud patients are standing up against abusive pricing practices.”
HB 1133 and SB 706 would:
Testifying at tomorrow’s hearing are:
Mary Mack of Nantucket: Mary lives with advanced heart failure due to a rare type of genetic muscular dystrophy. The symptoms of her disease—fatigue and shortness of breath—make it difficult to accomplish even the simplest task. Mary was on Entresto for only five months when the copay went up to $225 a month. The expense became too much for her family, so she stopped taking the drug.
Helen Fonseca of Tewksbury: Helen faces Crohn’s Disease. She plans to tell lawmakers: “I take Apriso. Before I retired, this drug cost $60 for a three-month supply. However, once I retired three years ago, the cost skyrocketed, going up to $500 for the same supply. There is no generic for this drug, even though its patent has run out. This cost is absurd. And for people like me who are on a fixed income, this cost is often impossible to pay.”
MORE PATIENT PERSPECTIVES:
Kathleen Rider, Otis, MA: “I am on a fixed income and am forced to shell out $145 for the medication every three months. It adds up. The stress of having such a costly medicine does affect my mental health. This is a necessary medication for me.”
Diane Sarmento, Lowell, MA: “I am a Medicare patient who was prescribed Ampyra, which is meant to strengthen my muscles and improve my overall quality of life. But the price of this drug is prohibitive: when I can’t get assistance, I can’t afford it.”
John Wood, West Springfield, MA: “I have type 2 diabetes that I work to keep at bay by living a healthy lifestyle. However, I also take Onglyza to help maintain my A1C levels. I usually fall into the Medicare donut hole within 6 months, causing a coverage gap. That’s when the price skyrockets to upwards of $450.”
According to recent polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 25 percent of Americans say they trust drug corporations to price their products fairly. Nearly one in four Americans report difficulty affording their prescription medications.
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington patients are one step closer to relief from skyrocketing prescription drug prices. SB 5292 and HB 1224 — legislation that would shed light on drug manufacturers’ pricing behavior — passed key policy committees recently and heads to the fiscal committees this week. Given the recent momentum, patients are speaking out about the devastating impact of rising drug prices and explaining how drug pricing legislation would help protect the state and residents from price hikes.
“Washington residents have been sending a clear message to lawmakers in support of the state’s effort to shed a light on rising prescription drug prices,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We all pay for Pharma’s unfettered greed, and Washington residents are struggling to fill both the kitchen pantry and the medicine cabinet. The status quo needs to change, and SB 5292 and HB 1224 are a step in the right direction.”
Patients Take Action: Last week, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new digital campaign to give Washington residents tools to contact their elected officials in support of measures to address rising drug prices. The campaign has included:
Washington Legislation would:
Patients Speak Out:
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — As key hearings are expected this week on two drug pricing bills in the Washington state legislature, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new digital campaign to give Washington residents tools to contact their elected officials in support of measures to address rising drug prices. The bills — SB 5292 and HB 1224 — would shed much-needed light into the pricing tactics of drug companies. By requiring that Big Pharma report and provide explanations for increases in drug prices, the bills are an important step toward ensuring that all patients can afford the medications they need.
“Passing this legislation would mean drug corporations won’t be able to blindside patients and taxpayers with arbitrary price hikes,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Washingtonians deserve to know why their drugs are so expensive, and SB 5292 and HB 1224 are a step in the right direction.”
Each bill is scheduled for key committee votes this week, and patients have already begun to send letters in support of the bill. Washington’s drug pricing legislation would help protect the state and residents like retired forester Mike Gaffney from price hikes. Gaffney, of Olympia, testified earlier this month that he lives with a rare form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. The price for his cancer medication, Revlimid, skyrocketed 20 percent in 2017 alone. The drug now costs $250,000 a year.
SB 5292 and HB 1224 would:
The Facebook ads above are part of a five-figure campaign in support of legislation to lower drug prices. The interactive digital tools allow residents to contact their senators and representatives in support of the proposed changes.
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is a bipartisan national patient organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. To maintain its independence, the group does not accept donations from organizations that profit from the development and distribution of prescription drugs.
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state lawmakers can take a stand today on one of the most important issues facing residents — rising prescription drug prices. This morning, a Washington House committee will hold a hearing on SB 5292, a drug price transparency measure. Currently, drug companies raise the prices of prescription drugs with no advance notice or explanation, making it impossible for the state of Washington and its residents to prepare for price increases. The bill would shed much-needed light into the pricing tactics of drug companies. By requiring Big Pharma to report and provide explanations for increases in drug prices, this bill is an important step toward ensuring that all patients can afford the medications they need.
Testifying at the House committee meeting today is retired forester Mike Gaffney from Olympia. Mike lives with a rare form of the blood cancer called multiple myeloma. The price for his cancer medication, Revlimid, skyrocketed 20 percent in 2017 alone. The drug now costs $250,000 a year.
“On behalf of more than 6,200 patients in Washington engaged in efforts to lower prescription drug prices, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a bipartisan national patient organization, strongly endorses Washington’s transparency efforts,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
The measure, SB 5292, would:
If passed, the legislation would ensure drug corporations won’t be able to blind side Washington patients or taxpayers with arbitrary price hikes. This bill is long overdue and a step in the right direction.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients in Maine are celebrating the passage of a new law that would help Mainers understand why prescription drugs prices keep rising. Patients For Affordable Drugs NOW, a patient advocacy organization, applauded passage of the bill.
“My 5-year-old son, Dakota, needs insulin to live,” said Sabrina Burbeck, a single mom who lives in Old Town. “When drug corporations charge $200-a-vial for a drug invented in the 1920s, we should all worry and demand change. There is no justifiable reason that his insulin costs keep going up, and the fear of my son losing his life-saving medicine keeps me up at night.”
A bipartisan group of Maine state legislators passed LD 1406 in April. The legislation, which became law yesterday, allows the Maine Health Data Organization to gather information from drug corporations about their pricing practices and to report its findings to citizens in Maine.
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is a bipartisan advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. To maintain its independence, P4ADNow does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs.
For Maine patient interviews, contact Juliana Keeping.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now Campaigns Director Janice Rottenberg issued the following statement after Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed HB 4005 into law today.
“This bill brings much-needed transparency to drug costs in Oregon, and it builds momentum as more states pass legislation to end drug pricing abuses. Today is a good day for Oregon and for Americans demanding action to lower outrageous drug prices.”
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