FORT WORTH, TX — Texas patients will join Senator John Cornyn at his roundtable today to share their stories about the high cost of their prescription drugs and to support the Senator in continuing to push for passage of his bipartisan Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act. The legislation was introduced by Senator Cornyn and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and aims to curb tactics drug companies use to game the patent system and block generic competition.
Below view the event details, hear from patients who will attend, and read more about the bill.
DETAILS
When: 1:20 PM, Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Where: Northside Community Health Center, Second Floor
2332 Beverly Hills Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76114
PATIENT PERSPECTIVE
Emily Grant, Dallas, cystic fibrosis: “I once had to pay $1,000 up front for a necessary inhaled antibiotic, Colistin. $1,000 is an outrageous cost, and I know that if something happens to my coverage, I could suddenly be faced with this cost again.”
Savanna Braun, The Woodlands, asthma, psoriatic arthritis, and other chronic conditions: “I will have to make major life decisions because of the cost of my drugs. These decisions range from which jobs I seek to whether or not I can afford certain medications or new therapies.”
Randall and Emma Barker, Wichita Falls, father and daughter with type 1 diabetes: “Both my daughter, Emma, and I live with type 1 diabetes. We have had to make real sacrifices to be able to afford the insulin we need to live.”
BACKGROUND
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WASHINGTON, DC — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new advertising campaign today thanking Senator Martha McSally for supporting the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act, a bill that would stop drug company price gouging and lower costs for seniors. Drug pricing is top-of-mind for 2020 voters — nearly nine in 10 want Congress to prioritize lowering the prices of medications, polling shows.
Today’s campaign encourages Arizona patients to reach out to McSally’s office directly and thank her for standing with constituents — not Big Pharma.
“Senator McSally listened to her constituents who are calling out for relief from Big Pharma’s unrestrained price hikes,” said Ben Wakana, Executive Director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We want her to know how much patients appreciate her support and work to advance bipartisan reform that would help fix our broken system.”
Relief from high drug prices can’t arrive soon enough for patients like Luz Lopez who travelled from Arizona to Washington, DC to share her story with Senator McSally and advocate for reforms that would lower drug prices.
“I don’t know from one year to the next if I’ll be able to afford the prescriptions I need to treat multiple chronic conditions, including depression and anxiety,” Lopez said. “It is so meaningful to me that Senator McSally listened and stood up for me. I hope more members of Congress follow her lead.”
BACKGROUND
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WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the Trump Administration’s announcement of a proposed rule that would allow the importation of certain prescription drugs, David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, issued the following statement:
“We are glad the administration has cracked the door open to safe importation of drugs from Canada and other countries. But it’s not a solution that will lower drug prices for the overwhelming majority of Americans.
“We hope the administration will work with Congress to pass a comprehensive drug pricing reform package and finalize its international pricing index model, actions that would begin to address the fact that Americans pay two to three times more than citizens in other nations for the same drugs.”
BACKGROUND
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WASHINGTON, DC — In response to House passage of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, issued the following statement:
“Patients scored a major victory in the fight for lower drug prices today. We applaud the House of Representatives for passing this landmark legislation that will expand Medicare benefits, support innovation, and save America billions of dollars from lower drug prices.
“The House has done its job. Now the Senate must act.”
BACKGROUND
H.R. 3 would:
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WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) score on H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, issued the following statement:
“H.R. 3 will help fix our broken system and ensure Americans with private and public insurance get the drugs they need at lower prices.
“CBO confirmed the bill will put $456 billion in savings from lower drug prices to work for taxpayers. America’s seniors will benefit from new dental, hearing, and vision coverage, investments in innovative new drugs, and lower out-of-pocket costs.
“H.R. 3’s investment into the world-class research at the National Institutes of Health will more than offset the prediction of about two new drugs lost per year. As a patient whose life is completely dependent on new drugs, I’m confident innovation is protected under this landmark legislation.
“It’s time to pass H.R. 3.”
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WASHINGTON, DC — In less than 24 hours, more than 1,600 patients from every state signed a petition supporting H.R. 3, landmark legislation to let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices. Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched the petition this week as the House announced a vote on The Lower Drug Costs Now Act. The petition comes on the heels of television, radio, and digital advertisements in recent months that illustrate the impact of high prescription drug prices on everyday Americans. In addition, patient advocates from across the country have flown to Washington to meet their members of Congress and thousands more have written letters in support of policies to lower drug prices.
“Americans are being being ripped off, and we know Medicare negotiation is a common sense solution to drive down drug prices,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Everyone, everywhere is tired of paying two to three times what other developed nations pay for the exact same prescription drugs. It’s time for the leaders in Washington to put aside differences and give the American public a win to lower drug prices.”
H.R. 3 would:
Currently, nearly 1 in 3 Americans report not taking their medicines as prescribed because of the cost. Lower drug prices will mean better adherence to drugs, which will improve health outcomes and extend life expectancy for millions of Americans. That’s likely why nine of 10 Americans from both political parties agree one of Congress’ top priorities should be to lower drug prices.
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WASHINGTON, DC — Ahead of this week’s vote on H.R. 3, landmark legislation that will overhaul America’s rigged drug pricing system, patients from across the country sent a letter to House leaders expressing support for the bill and urging passage. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act would let the government negotiate lower drug prices for Americans, use the savings from negotiation to add hearing, vision, and dental coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, and support innovation by directing billions of dollars to the National Institutes of Health.
“Americans have been waiting for this reform since powerful drug corporations blocked Medicare from negotiating lower prices nearly two decades ago,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now in a letter signed by 16 other patient advocates from across the country. “This week, the House can rectify that injustice and put our nation on a road to affordable drug prices and better health.”
The letter is signed by patients with cancer, autoimmune conditions, genetic diseases, and other chronic conditions that require expensive medications. They are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, employer plans, and through the individual marketplace, and require drugs ranging in price from $10,000 to $875,000 per year.
Momentum for the bill continues to grow. Since the bill’s introduction in September, more than 106 Members of Congress have cosponsored the bill, and dozens more supported passage in key House committees.
H.R. 3 would:
The letter to support H.R. 3 follows the launch in October of a multi-million dollar advertising campaign featuring TV, digital, and radio ads to support the passage of H.R. 3, along with drug pricing reforms proposed in the Senate and by the Trump administration. Nine of 10 Americans from both political parties agree one of Congress’ top priorities should be to lower drug prices.
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Dec. 10, 2019
Dear Chairmen Neal, Pallone, and Scott,
We write to express our strong support for H.R. 3 — The Lower Drug Costs Now Act.
As patients with cancer, autoimmune conditions, genetic diseases and other chronic conditions that require expensive medications, we each have a personal stake in this fight. We are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, and through the individual marketplace. Our drug prices range from $10,000 to $875,000 per year.
We need this reform. The time for waiting is over.
Our stories demonstrate why 86% of Americans support letting Medicare negotiate directly with drug companies.[1] H.R. 3 heeds this call and takes reforms further by extending lower prices to people who receive drug coverage from private sector insurers as well. H.R. 3 will improve health by ensuring Americans can afford to take drugs as prescribed; it will also improve Medicare beneficiary health by adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits to the program. Importantly, it will support innovation and new drug development by increasing funding for the NIH and FDA.
All of the signers of this letter traveled to Washington D.C. in recent months to meet with our elected officials and demand action to lower drug prices. Today, we urge passage of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. If we could make one amendment to the bill, we would request that Congress extend the bill’s provisions to Americans without insurance coverage — who are often faced with the most critical affordability challenges at the pharmacy counter.
Americans have been waiting for this reform since powerful drug corporations blocked Medicare from negotiating lower prices nearly two decades ago. This week, the House can rectify that injustice and put our nation on a road to affordable drug prices and better health.
Signed,
David Mitchell, Bethesda, MD, Multiple Myeloma
Robin Bennett, Grand Island, NE, Type 2 Diabetes
Marta Deike, Lodi, CA, Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome
Tiburon Erickson, Taylorsville, UT, Mother of Type 1 Diabetic
Ethan Erickson, Taylorsville, UT, Type 1 Diabetes
Robert Fowler, Ridgeville, OH, Multiple Myeloma
Rose Hernandez, California City, CA, Asthma
Kimberly Ishoy, South Jordan, UT, Type 1 Diabetes
Juliana Keeping, Silver Spring, MD, Mother of Cystic Fibrosis son
Luz Lopez, Phoenix, AZ, Fibromyalgia
Karen Macedon, Sacramento, CA, Type 2 Diabetes
DJ Clayton Martin, Jacksonville, FL, Sickle Cell Disease
Clayton McCook, Oklahoma City, OK, Father of Type 1 Diabetic
Jacquie Persson, Waterloo, IA, Crohn’s Disease
Sam Reid, Washington, D.C., Crohn’s Disease
Lauren Stanford , Washington, D.C., Type 1 Diabetes
Ashley Suder, McMehen, WV, Lupus
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Waiting on PhRMA to announce its plan to lower drug prices like…
1. Dark Money in a Hard Hat
2. Juicing Profits at Patient Expense
3. Consult the Map
4. Up Next: Medicare Negotiation
5. All Spin, No Substance