On Tuesday, P4ADNow launched a six-figure ad campaign with two new video ads featuring patients who have struggled with the high prices of their prescription drugs calling on Congress to lower drug prices. This announcement is part of the “Push For Lower Rx Prices” launched last week by over 70 organizations pressing the Senate to make meaningful progress on comprehensive drug pricing reforms, including Medicare negotiation, by Memorial Day. “The medication I need to treat my MS is nearly $7,500 a month. I’m on Medicare, and I still can’t afford that,” says patient advocate Lisa from Detroit in one ad. Jacqueline, a college student and patient advocate from Austin who lives with ankylosing spondylitis, says in the other ad, “If Congress doesn’t lower drug prices now, a whole ’nother generation of us will suffer.” — (Politico)
2. Undeniable Momentum
Voters and legislators continue to show support for the comprehensive drug pricing reforms in Congress. A new poll released on Thursday by Data For Progress shows strong support for President Biden’s investment package, including bringing down the cost of prescription drugs. The poll finds that large majorities (over 80 percent) of Democrats and Republicans support the comprehensive drug price provisions being considered by the Senate, which include allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. Senators Hirano, Schatz, Bennet, Murray and Whitehouse all voiced the urgent need for lower drug prices this week, and President Biden again touted Medicare negotiation as part of his plan to deliver lower prices to Americans. The momentum is here – Americansneed lower costs, and prescription drug pricing reform is top of mind. Congress, let’s get it done. — (Data For Progress, Maui Now, Concord Monitor, PBS NewsHour)
3. Tweetorial: Unaffordable Cancer Drugs
Vanderbilt professor and health services researcher Stacie Dusetzina tweeted a poignant thread detailing her new paper in The New England Journal of Medicine about the cost of cancer drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. Dusetzina explains that the difference between affording and not affording cancer treatment in Medicare is whether your cancer drugs are pills covered through Part D or infusions covered by Part B. This system is arbitrary and inequitable, which is why Dusetzina implores Congress to pass pricing reforms in Part D that lower prices and cap out-of-pocket costs. — (The New England Journal of Medicine, Twitter)
One more thing: P4ADNow submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week describing the ways that the opaque business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may contribute to higher prices for patients and calling for a thoroughgoing investigation into PBM business practices.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Our #1 overall pick to lower drug prices? Medicare negotiation.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. The Push For Lower Rx Prices
On Tuesday, over 70 organizations representing patients, consumers, seniors, unions, employers, physicians, nurses, and disease advocacy groups joined Senators Amy Klobuchar and Catherine Cortez Masto to launch the “Push For Lower Rx Prices.” The campaign calls on the Senate to advance a reconciliation package with the House-passed drug pricing provisions by Memorial Day to deliver relief to patients across the country. “After graduating, I want to go to law school. But my dreams and independence are threatened by having to constantly worry about affording my treatment,” said Jacqueline Garibay, an ankylosing spondylitis patient from Texas who spoke at the event. “I want the Senate to understand that passing comprehensive drug pricing reform will give me and millions of others peace of mind and the ability to pursue our dreams without worrying about whether the price of our drugs will stand in the way.” — (Common Dreams)
2. Voters Demand Medicare Negotiation
A new survey conducted by a bipartisan research team demonstrates overwhelming and unwavering support among voters for Congress to take action to lower the prices of prescription drugs. The poll finds that 83 percent of voters back Medicare negotiation and 77 percent are in favor of limiting annual drug price increases, with support across political parties. Nearly 80 percent of respondents say the pharmaceutical industry can live with slightly lower profits and still provide the innovation patients need. In a country deeply divided, Americans are unified on the issue of drug prices. Congress must pass this game-changing legislation now. — (STAT)
3. Read Our Stories
The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, the Main Street Alliance, and P4ADNow released a storybook this week of patients sharing how high drug prices have harmed their families’ health and financial well-being. P4ADNow advocates Brenda Dickason, Marcus LaCour, and Ashley Suder are among the patients featured in the storybook. “I shouldn’t have to spend my retirement praying that my small business sales go well so that I can finally purchase the EpiPen that could save my life,” shares Brenda, who lives with asthma and allergies. “I’m thankful I have insulin to help keep me alive, but it is worthless if we cannot afford it,” explains Marcus, a type 1 diabetes patient. “It’s wrong that I live paycheck to paycheck and in constant fear of losing my medications while Big Pharma rakes in profits,” says Ashley, who lives with lupus. — (Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy)
On Friday, President Biden urged Congress to lower costs for families by passing the package of drug pricing reforms that includes Medicare negotiation. Drug pricing reform consistently ranks as one of Americans’ most important priorities, and the package before the Senate now would reset the drug pricing system to make it work better for all Americans. “Today, 1 in 4 Americans who take prescription drugs struggle to afford them. … Many people use over-the-counter drugs instead or cut pills in half because they can’t afford them. There are others who simply don’t fill their prescriptions at all,” President Biden said. “For God’s sake, this is the United States of America. What are we doing? It’s simply wrong.” — (President Biden, HuffPost)
2. We’re Not Buying Big Pharma’s Lies
This week, P4ADNow set the record straight by debunking five of the drug industry’s lies about innovation, access, COVID-19 vaccines, out-of-pocket costs, and partisan priorities and shed light on the truth about what the drug pricing reforms would mean for patients. “Despite Big Pharma’s record spending on lobbying and dark money campaigns to block the drug pricing reforms, patients know the provisions will allow for the innovation we need at prices we can afford, increase access to drugs, continue funding for COVID-19 vaccine development, and save lives,” says P4ADNow founder David Mitchell. “Americans are depending on Congress to fulfill its promise and pass comprehensive drug pricing reforms now.” — (P4ADNow)
3. “Lives On The Line”
Patients, seniors, and advocates wrote to their local publications this week explaining why Americans need Congress to pass Medicare negotiation. “I often think of all the things I could have invested in to better my life if not for the financial weight of drug costs holding me down,” shares diabetes patient Kristine Shachinger. “I am fortunate that skipping my medication hasn’t taken my life yet, but many Americans are not as lucky,” writes multiple sclerosis patient Sharon Hendrix. “I urge Congress to support Biden’s plan to lower drug costs. When there are lives on the line, we can’t waste time.” — (The Kansas City Star, Concord Monitor, Daily Montanan, Las Vegas Sun)
4. The Patents Behind Monopoly Prices
The U.S. patent system must be reformed so that patients are able to get the innovation we need at prices we can afford, writes The New York Times editorial board. As it stands, the broken system allows drug companies to obtain frivolous patents in order to block cheaper competitors from coming to market. From patent reform to Medicare negotiation, there are real steps we can take to prevent and lower pharma’s monopoly prices on behalf of patients across the country. It’s time for substantive action. — (The New York Times)
5. Another Drug Industry Game
In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, author Elisabeth Rosenthal explains how copay assistance programs allow drug manufacturers to profit off patients under the guise of benevolence. Patients rely on these coupons to afford expensive medications while drug companies collect on the astronomical prices charged to the patients’ insurance companies, resulting in increased cost-shifting and rising premiums. It’s another pharma trick to continue exploiting the system while trying to preserve their reputation. Don’t fall for it. — (Los Angeles Times)
One more thing: On Tuesday, April 26, over 70 organizations will join together to launch the campaign “Push For Lower Rx Prices” to call on the Senate to advance a reconciliation package that includes drug pricing reforms by Memorial Day. Please RSVP to [email protected] to attend the press conference.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. “We Have The Votes”
In a new op-ed, Rep. Susan Wild and P4ADNow founder David Mitchell call on the Senate to pass comprehensive drug pricing reforms that include Medicare negotiation to lower prescription drug prices for patients. “We need the Senate to seize the moment and fulfill their promise to pass the package of comprehensive reforms that include both allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices on expensive drugs including insulin and capping insulin copays,” they write. “Patients are depending on the Senate to get back on track to secure a win for the American people.” — (The Hill)
2. A Human Rights Issue
The high price of insulin makes the case for badly needed comprehensive reforms for all patients. A report from Human Rights Watch explains how the U.S. drug pricing system has allowed drug companies to maintain high and rising prices on insulin — and how this dynamic has undermined our human right to health. The report points directly to the lack of transparency, regulation, and constraints on high drug prices in the United States as areas that lawmakers must address. Jennifer Schuerman, whose son lives with type 1 diabetes, describes the consequences of inaction in an op-ed: “We lose sight of the human cost when we ignore insulin price gouging,” she writes. “At the end of the day, we are putting a price on human life — on a child’s life.” — (Human Rights Watch, Iowa Capital Dispatch)
3. The Cost Of MS
Prescription drug spending constitutes over 50 percent of the direct medical costs associated with having multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. Passing the package of drug pricing reforms now before the Senate — which includes allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices, limiting annual price hikes to the rate of inflation, and capping out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries — would go far in helping MS patients across the country afford their life-saving and life-sustaining medications. Let’s not waste another moment. — (Axios)
Apropos of nothing, the price of a full course of rabies immunization can be $10,000.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. The Ploy To Keep Prices High
A new report from P4AD details how the drug companies behind Eliquis and Xarelto, two blood thinners used by millions of patients, have raised their prices in lockstep over the past decade to avoid competition and extract increasing profits from patients and taxpayers. The two drugs, currently each priced at over $500 for a monthly supply, would have a list price of about $300 if price hikes had been held to the rate of inflation. Eliquis and Xarelto are now two of the three most costly drugs for Medicare, and their high prices are directly harming patients. “I’ve had to spend my entire paycheck to get my prescription drugs,” said Ashley Suder, a lupus patient who takes Eliquis to prevent blood clots. “I often worry about how I’ll make ends meet while still affording my drugs. Without them, my life would be at real risk! It’s no way to live, but I don’t have a choice.” — (Axios)
2. “We Have To Do This”
This week, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and senatorscalled on Congress to lower drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate. Seniors have been feeling the pain of high drug prices for too long — a recent study found that 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who did not receive low-income subsidies for their cancer medications skipped out on filling their prescriptions. The Senate has the opportunity to rein in these prices by passing the package of drug pricing reforms under consideration now. As President Biden says, “We can do this. We should do this. We have to do this.” — (P4ADNow, P4ADNow, KRNV, The Franklin Journal, Health Affairs)
3. The Case For Medicare Negotiation
In opinion pieces this week, patient advocates shared their families’ experiences with high drug prices and explained why Medicare must be allowed to negotiate. “It is obviously obscene to charge Americans so much more than in other countries, especially since drug manufacturers make profits in every country. It is ridiculous that the government cannot negotiate prices,” writes Virginia advocate Patricia Smith. “Without negotiations that actually stop the drug corporations from charging whatever they want and raising prices at will, cost containment can only have limited impact for a limited number of patients while burdens continue to rise for taxpayers, businesses, and those paying premiums,” explains Jamie Tadrzynski, who lives with type 1 diabetes. “The drug-pricing reforms the Senate is currently considering would deliver meaningful relief to patients like me, while still rewarding innovation,” shares Kris Garcia, who lives with multiple health conditions, including bleeding disorders. — (The Free Lance-Star, Las Vegas Sun, The Colorado Sun)
This April, we won’t let Big Pharma fool us: We can have the drug innovation we need at prices we can afford.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Priority #1: Full Drug Pricing Package
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed legislation to cap copays for insulin for the second time. The provision was included in the historic comprehensive package of drug pricing reforms passed by the House in November and currently under consideration by the Senate. The package is composed of key reforms, including Medicare negotiation to lower drug prices, which is the most popular part of the president’s economic plan. “To be clear, comprehensive reform is urgently needed to lift the crushing burden of prescription drug prices,” Speaker Pelosi explained. Democrats in the Senate have the votes and must act urgently to pass the complete package of reforms through reconciliation and lower drug prices for all Americans, including those who take insulin. Patientscan’t wait any longer. — (Common Dreams, Navigator Research, P4ADNow)
2. Saving Money, Improving Access
This week, patients and an elected state official called on Congress to pass the package of drug pricing reforms to deliver lower drug prices for Americans. “I live with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and the medication keeping me alive is priced at almost $15,000 a month. Just last month, its manufacturer hiked the price by $1,030,” shares New York patient advocate Lynn Scarfuto. Medicare negotiation “will save lives by allowing access to life-saving drugs for many Americans who can’t presently afford them,” explains Nevada cancer survivor Joyce Newman. “I urge congressional leaders to pass these significant health care provisions to provide much-needed relief to families across New Jersey and the country,” writes New Jersey Assemblyman John McKeon. — (Albany Times-Union, Reno Gazette Journal, Star-Ledger)
3. Time For A Course-Correct
A new analysis shows that cancer drug prices rose in the United States between 2009 and 2020 while prices in Germany and Switzerland decreased or kept pace with the rate of inflation over the same time period. The difference, according to the authors, can be attributed to the fact that Germany and Switzerland negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers while the United States is prohibited from doing so. The inability of Medicare to negotiate over the past two decades has had lasting ramifications for patients and taxpayers — let’s course-correct and pass Medicare negotiation legislation now. — (Endpoints News)
It’s been 6 years since Britney has recorded new music — but it’s been three times longer that Medicare hasn’t been able to negotiate lower drug prices. Big Pharma’s Toxic drug prices Drive Me Crazy.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. No Time To Lose
Momentum continues to build for passing the House-passed comprehensive drug pricing reforms through reconciliation. This week, Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Allred spoke at a Dallas roundtable about why Medicare must be allowed to negotiate lower drug prices. In a press conference, Senator Baldwin reiterated her support for Medicare negotiation, and in the media, Rep. Titus highlighted the overwhelming support for the provision in her district and across the country. The moment is at hand to pass the groundbreaking reforms — with the support of all 50 Democratic senators, we can deliver relief to Americans burdened by high drug prices now. — (KERA, La Crosse Tribune, KNPR)
2. Princes Of Profiteering
As Americans struggled with health and financial crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla hauled in a $24 million compensation package in 2021. To put that number into perspective, Bourla’s $24 million could have paid for hundreds of frontline worker salaries — 521 paramedics, 319 nurses, or 115 doctors. Drug companies and their executives continue to cash in on vaccines based on taxpayer-funded research, and Americans are left paying twice for the life-saving technology we need. — (FiercePharma)
3. “We Have Waited Long Enough”
A patient advocate and AARPleaders wrote powerful op-eds this week explaining how Congress has the opportunity to help patients and seniors across the country by passing the negotiated drug pricing reforms in a reconciliation package. “If I don’t have enough [money], I may turn around and leave the medications at the pharmacy, even though I rely on them to keep me well,” writes Donna Bowers, a Pennsylvania kidney donor and arthritis patient. “We have waited long enough for affordable health care in this country. Now it’s time to finish the job and pass legislation that will lower the cost of prescription drugs so millions of Americans, including me, can relax knowing that they can afford the medications they need to stay healthy.” — (The Morning Call, The Daily Item, The Connecticut Mirror)
It’s madness that drug prices are still so high, but if a #15 can beat a #2, then we can beat pharma and lower drug prices for Americans.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. “A Clear Path Forward”
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on high drug prices further underscored the urgent need for drug pricing reform. During the hearing, senatorsexplained how the House-passed reforms in the Build Back Better Act — which the drug lobby has spent tens of millions of dollars opposing — willhelplowerpricesforpatients. “There is just no substitute — none — for the number one reform, which is allowing Medicare to negotiate like any other payer,” said Chairman Wyden. “I see a clear path forward to deliver drug pricing reform for the American people in a way that is balanced and in a way that is fair, and I’m confident that these policies can pass through Congress and be signed into law even today,” added Senator Carper. Let’s get it done. — (P4ADNow)
2. Letters For Lower Drugs
In letters and op-eds this week, a patient, a constituent, and employers urged Congress to act quickly to lower drug prices. “As a senior living on a fixed income, I’ve had to choose between filling my Humira prescription or buying groceries. That’s a decision no one should have to make,” writes Katherine Pepper, a Washington patient who lives with an autoimmune disease. “Rising prices have been a constant problem as drug corporations have relentlessly raised prices, often higher than inflation rates, for well over a decade,” explains Virginian Dilcia Molina. “The time is long overdue for Congress to act on drug prices.” — (The Seattle Times, The Free Lance-Star, The Hill)
3. Stop Pharma Profiteering Now
A piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer lays out how drug companies and theirexecutives have raked in massive profits from taxpayer-funded COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. “Make no mistake: The effort by drug companies was hugely profitable, because the government paid for the research, removed all the risk factors and committed billions to pre-approval purchases,” author Daniel Hoffman explains. — (The Philadelphia Inquirer, CNBC, FiercePharma)
4. The High Price Of Cancer Care
A new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network reveals that 51 percent of cancer patients and survivors have taken on debt to pay for their care, and 65 percent say they are worried about the costs of their prescription drugs. Cancer medications are among the most expensive drugs on the market — it’s more clear evidence that high prices are hurting patients. Americans deserve better. — (Axios)
5. Patient Spotlight ?
Virginia patient advocate Kat Schroeder, who lives with type 1 diabetes, was interviewed by Spectrum News on why patients need Congress to pass drug pricing reforms now. “This is my lifeline,” Kat said about her insulin, which costs about $3,300 for a three-month supply. “If I run out of insulin, I’m dead within a few days.” The drug pricing reforms being considered by the Senate will allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, including for insulin. Kat and millions of other patients are depending on Congress to fulfill their promise. – (Spectrum News)
One more thing: Good news! This week, the New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee voted to advance legislation that would establish a prescription drug affordability board to tackle high drug prices on behalf of New Jersey patients.
