| WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now released a new video that exposes how Big Pharma’s focus on lower out-of-pocket prescription drug costs will only shift the way Americans pay for pharma’s high prices. The 30-second animated video explains that the only way to meaningfully lower what patients pay for prescriptions is to lower the list prices set by drug corporations. H.R. 3, a bill in the House of Representatives, would allow Medicare to negotiate directly on behalf of patients for lower prices and reduce what patients pay out-of-pocket for their medicines. Read the video transcript below and watch the full video here. |
| Voiceover transcript: Big Pharma says it wants to lower the costs we pay out-of-pocket for drugs. But if we take less money out of this pocket without lowering list prices… Pharma will take more money out of that pocket by way of higher premiums and taxes. The only way to lower the actual cost is to lower the list prices set by Big Pharma. H.R. 3 will lower drug prices and lower out-of-pocket costs for Americans. With H.R. 3, patients keep more money in their pockets. |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement was issued by David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, in response to the Principles For Drug Pricing Reform released today by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden:
“The principles released today lay a strong and thoughtful foundation for comprehensive reform of the U.S. drug pricing system, from lowering list prices set by drug corporations to reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients at the pharmacy counter.
“We are very pleased to see the inclusion of Medicare negotiation as the first principle, extension of ‘drug pricing reforms that keep prices and patient costs in check’ beyond Medicare to all Americans, and provisions to spur and reward innovation. We applaud Chairman Wyden’s leadership and look forward to supporting and working with the committee to flesh out the details in legislation that will bring the principles to life and relief to millions of patients.”
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AUGUSTA — The following statement was issued by Lucy Westerfield, deputy executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, following the Maine state house and senate votes to pass the Making Health Care Work for Maine package to lower drug prices:
“On behalf of Maine patients, we applaud the Maine state house and senate for passing Making Health Care Work for Maine, a strong bipartisan bill package that stands up to Big Pharma. If signed into law, two of the five bills — LD 675 and LD 1117 — will be the first-in-the-nation legislation of its kind to protect patients from pharmaceutical price gouging and unjustified price increases. Today’s passage is a significant milestone in the effort to provide meaningful relief to Mainers who struggle to afford their medications due to high prices.”
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DENVER — The following statement was issued by Lucy Westerfield, deputy executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, following Governor Jared Polis’ signing of SB 21-175, a bill that establishes a prescription drug affordability board designed to deliver relief to Coloradans suffering from high drug prices:
“On behalf of Colorado patients, we thank Governor Polis for signing into law SB 21-175, a groundbreaking bill that will establish the country’s third prescription drug affordability board. The new prescription drug affordability board, which has overwhelming support from Coloradans, will be the first board of its kind to have the power to set upper payment limits for all insurers, providing meaningful relief to patients who struggle to afford their medications due to high prices. This is an important step for Colorado and one we hope other states will follow to protect patients and stand up to Big Pharma.”
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DENVER — The following statement was issued by Lucy Westerfield, deputy executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, following the Colorado state legislature’s vote to pass SB 21-175, a bill that establishes a prescription drug affordability board designed to deliver relief to Coloradans suffering from high drug prices:
“The passage of SB 21-175 is a huge win for Colorado patients who have struggled with outrageous prescription drug prices for far too long. We are grateful to the Colorado state legislature for standing with patients and passing this groundbreaking bill to establish a prescription drug affordability board and meaningfully lower drug prices. We look forward to Governor Polis signing this bill into law.”
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AUGUSTA — The following statement was issued by Lucy Westerfield, deputy executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, leading up to the Maine Senate and House votes on the Making Health Care Work for Mainepackage to lower drug prices. This statement follows the Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services Committee votes last week to move the package to the floor of both chambers:
“Maine legislators have a clear choice to make when voting on the Making Health Care Work for Maine package — they can vote in favor of Maine patients who are struggling to afford high prescription drug prices, or they can vote in favor of Big Pharma’s interests.
“In order to protect Mainers from pharmaceutical price gouging and unnecessary price increases, the legislature must pass the strongest versions of LD 675 and LD 1117 along with the remainder of the package. That’s why next week, P4ADNow is launching a tool to mobilize Mainers to call on their legislators to support the full package. Patients need meaningful prescription drug price relief now.”
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KANSAS — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now kicks off a campaign today thanking Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03) for supporting H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, a package of drug pricing reforms that includes allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices for Kansans. The campaign includes digital ads as well as grassroots advocacy, in which constituents will contact Rep. Davids to thank her for fighting for patients. The campaign comes after Big Pharma launched a campaign loaded with lies, pressuring Rep. Davids not to support H.R. 3.
“Big Pharma is trying to get Rep. Davids to bow to its power with lies and fear-mongering. But she is standing strong to win reforms that will lower the outrageous prices of prescription drugs,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Thanks to Rep. Davids’ leadership, we can pass H.R. 3 to ensure we get affordable medicines we need now and innovation for the future.”
The campaign launches with an ad highlighting patient advocate Marcus LaCour, who lives with type 1 diabetes. The ad will run on digital platforms in Kansas’ third district.
You can watch the ad here.
“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15 years old. Because insulin is so expensive, I’ve had to skip and ration my doses. My wife has had to skip meals so that we could afford the insulin that I needed to survive,” LaCour, a Cincinnati husband, father, minister, and drug affordability advocate says in the video ad. “No family should have to make that decision. For millions of Americans, it’s serious enough that we need help.”
H.R. 3 was recently reintroduced in the House of Representatives. The chamber passed the bill in the 116th Congress. H.R. 3 is a comprehensive bill that will lower prices, rein in price gouging, and reduce out-of-pocket costs by restoring balance to the U.S. drug pricing system to ensure both innovation and affordability.
The Kansas campaign is part of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now’s seven-figure national campaign launching in 42 House districts across 22 states and in D.C.
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NEW HAMPSHIRE — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now kicks off a campaign today thanking Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01) for supporting H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, a package of drug pricing reforms that includes allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices for Granite Staters. The campaign includes digital ads as well as grassroots advocacy, in which constituents will contact Rep. Pappas to thank him for fighting for patients. The campaign comes after Big Pharma launched attack ads loaded with lies, pressuring Rep. Pappas not to support H.R. 3.
“Big Pharma is trying to get Rep. Pappas to bow to its power with lies and fear-mongering. But he is standing strong to win reforms that will lower the outrageous prices of prescription drugs,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Thanks to Rep. Pappas’s leadership, we can pass H.R. 3 to ensure we get affordable medicines we need now and innovation for the future.”
The campaign launches with an ad highlighting patient advocate Marcus LaCour, who lives with type 1 diabetes. The ad will run on digital platforms in New Hampshire’s first district.
You can watch the ad here.
“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15 years old. Because insulin is so expensive, I’ve had to skip and ration my doses. My wife has had to skip meals so that we could afford the insulin that I needed to survive,” LaCour, a Cincinnati husband, father, minister, and drug affordability advocate says in the video ad. “No family should have to make that decision. For millions of Americans, it’s serious enough that we need help.”
H.R. 3 was recently reintroduced in the House of Representatives. The chamber passed the bill in the 116th Congress. H.R. 3 is a comprehensive bill that will lower prices, rein in price gouging, and reduce out-of-pocket costs by restoring balance to the U.S. drug pricing system to ensure both innovation and affordability.
The New Hampshire campaign is part of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now’s seven-figure national campaign launching in 42 House districts across 22 states and in D.C.
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