ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland legislature officially voted to create a groundbreaking Prescription Drug Affordability Board, an independent body with the authority to evaluate high-cost prescription drugs and set reasonable rates. The bill, HB 768, now moves to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk, with a chance to set a model for the nation to make prescription drugs more affordable. Today, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new flight of digital ads that give residents tools to encourage Gov. Hogan to sign the bill into law.
P4ADNow, a bipartisan patient advocacy organization that takes no money from the pharmaceutical industry, earlier endorsed the legislation and ran an aggressive campaign to support the bill. Today’s new digital ads continue a 5-figure effort to support state partners, including AARP Maryland, NAACP, MedChi, and the Maryland Health Care For All Coalition.
“The state needs this board to push back against Big Pharma’s unaffordable prices,” said Maryland resident David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder and president of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “The status quo needs to change, and the Prescription Drug Affordability Board is a national model.”
The Prescription Drug Affordability Board bill, sponsored by Senator Katherine Klausmeier and Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk, would:
To date, thousands of Maryland residents have reached out to state lawmakers in support of the measure.
According to recent polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 25 percent of Americans say they trust drug corporations to price their products fairly. Among Maryland voters, 78 percent favor creating a prescription drug affordability board in Maryland, according to a January Gonzales Poll by Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative.
Patient perspective
Stahis Panagides is a Marylander, Parkinson’s patient, and Medicare recipient whose life has been directly impacted by skyrocketing prescription drug prices.
“My doctor recently prescribed Rytary to mitigate my disease. But even with my robust Medicare plan, I am not able to afford the $400 monthly price tag on this drug. It’s heartbreaking to know that there’s a drug out there that could treat my symptoms, but I can’t access it because the price is just too high,” Stahis told Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
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SALEM, Ore. — Oregon state lawmakers are weighing key measures this week that would protect residents from Big Pharma’s skyrocketing drug prices. One bill would require that drug makers give 60-day notice to the state before spiking drug prices, while a second reform would allow Oregon patients to purchase medication from Canada at fraction of the cost. A new, 5-figure campaign launched today to highlight stories of Oregon patients struggling under high drug prices and give Oregon residents tools to contact their state lawmakers in support of these drug pricing reforms.
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a bipartisan patient advocacy organization that takes no money from the pharmaceutical industry, is proud to endorse the proposed legislation alongside the Oregon Coalition For Affordable Prescriptions. Hundreds of Oregonians have contacted P4ADNow to report harm caused by the cost of their prescription drugs.
Oregon’s HB 2658 would require that drug manufacturers provide 60-day advance notice before raising prices beyond certain thresholds over a 12-month period. HB 2689 and SB 409 would create a state program to import and distribute wholesale prescription drugs from Canada. At significant savings to patients, the program would ensure safety on par with the U.S. drug supply chain system.
Both measures are being considered by key committees in the Oregon House and Senate this week.
“Oregonians are desperate for relief from crushing drug prices,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “While there is still work to be done to lower the list prices of drugs, these important bills could give Oregonians safe and less-expensive options and protection from being blindsided by price hikes.”
Americans pay anywhere from two to six times more than the rest of the world for brand-name prescription drugs. According to one report, the retail price of a vial of insulin in the U.S. is over $300. In Canada, the same vial costs $32.
Patient Perspective
Hundreds of Oregon patients have written to Patients For Affordable Drugs Now to report how their lives have been directly impacted by skyrocketing prescription drug prices. Here’s a look at three of those stories:
David Schmor, St. Helens, OR: “I have stage 4 prostate cancer along with a heart condition. I began with surgery that cost over $100,000, followed by radiation which was another $100,000, and ongoing hormone therapy that cost me $200 out of pocket every three months. Just one of my pills, Xtandi, costs $400 a day.”
Sarah Esterman, Portland, OR: “Out of pocket, the drug would cost me $460 a month—which I can’t reliably afford.”
Pat Rubino, St. Helens, OR: “I have seen the impact high prescription drug prices have on many Americans and feel strongly that something must be done immediately. No one should ever have to consider not taking their medicine because they cannot afford it!”
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A first-in-the-nation California bill would stop Big Pharma from cutting deals that block less-expensive generic drugs for state residents — a tactic that limits patient choice and costs taxpayers billions each year. Californians have written hundreds of letters in support of Assembly Bill 824, which is being heard in the judiciary committee this week. The bill also received an endorsement today from Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a Washington, DC-based patient advocacy organization that takes no money from the pharmaceutical industry or any other player in health care. The organization launched a 5-figure campaign to advance the bill.
“Big Pharma is reaching into the pockets of hard-working Californians through dirty tactics like pay-for-delay deals that block cheaper generic drugs,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We’ve heard from more than 1,000 Californians who report struggling to afford skyrocketing prescription drugs. All the while, Big Pharma’s profit margins are soaring while players collude to cut monopolistic deals. AB 824 could put an end to this egregious scheme that’s gone unchecked for far too long.”
AB 824 would:
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now’s 5-figure campaign includes digital ads to give Californians tools to contact their representatives in support of the legislation through letter writing and phone calls.
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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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ANNAPOLIS, Md. — In a groundbreaking move, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 98-40 to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, an independent body with the authority to evaluate high-cost prescription drugs and set rates for state and local governments to pay. The bill, HB 768, now moves to the Maryland Senate Finance Committee with a chance to set a model for the nation and fundamentally reshape how states address skyrocketing prescription drug prices.
“Maryland residents have been sending letters and making calls to lawmakers in support of the state’s effort to get a better deal on prescription drugs,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We all pay for Pharma’s unfettered greed, and Maryland residents are struggling to fill both the kitchen pantry and the medicine cabinet. The status quo needs to change, and the Prescription Drug Affordability Board can be a national model.”
The Prescription Drug Affordability Board bill, sponsored by Senator Katherine Klausmeier and Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk would:
In January, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a five-figure campaign to give Maryland residents tools to contact their elected officials in support of measures to address rising drug prices. The interactive digital tools allow residents to contact their senators and representatives in support of the proposed changes. P4ADNow is working in support of the legislation along with partners including the Maryland Health Care For All Coalition, AARP Maryland, and the NAACP.
According to recent polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 25 percent of Americans say they trust drug corporations to price their products fairly, down from 41 percent in 2008.
Patient Perspective
Stahis Panagides is a Marylander, Parkinson’s patient, and Medicare recipient whose life has been directly impacted by skyrocketing prescription drug prices.
“My doctor recently prescribed Rytary to mitigate my disease. But even with my robust Medicare plan, I am not able to afford the $400 monthly price tag on this drug. It’s heartbreaking to know that there’s a drug out there that could treat my symptoms, but I can’t access it because the price is just too high,” Stahis told Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
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. — 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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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now released a new digital ad in support of the Department of Health and Human Services’ proposal to adopt an International Pricing Index to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B.
Watch the video here.
Under the proposal, Medicare would pay only 26 percent more than other wealthy countries for drugs administered by physicians or in hospital settings — that’s compared to the 80 percent more it pays today. But Big Pharma is attacking the International Pricing Index because the changes could actually rein in outrageous drug prices.
In a new video, cancer patient and Patients For Affordable Drugs Now founder David Mitchell debunks the myths that drug corporations are spreading about the International Pricing Index. Mitchell points out that, under the changes, his drug prices would drop by $100,000, and his access to life-sustaining treatment would remain exactly the same.
“There’s a bipartisan plan in Washington that would lower the price of my drugs by $100,000,” Mitchell says in the video. “ But Big Pharma has mobilized its message machine, lobbying furiously and spending millions to stop it. Pharma says it will stifle innovation, allow government bureaucrats to control my health care, block my access to these drugs. None of that is true.”
The video release is part of a nationwide, nearly $1 million campaign in support of the International Pricing Index that includes ads on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google. The ads urge Americans to contact their senators and representatives in support of the proposed changes.
According to a recent poll, voters support the HHS proposal to lower drug prices by a 71-point margin (80 percent support vs. 9 percent oppose). Majorities from both parties agree that Democrats and Republicans in Congress should support the proposal.
Importantly, Americans find Big Pharma’s claim that the proposed reforms would hinder patient access to be wrong. Eight in 10 voters believe the proposal will result in better care or have no impact on the care they receive. That’s bolstered by the fact that nine out of 10 big pharmaceutical companies actually spend more on advertising and marketing than on research and development, according to The Washington Post. There is no evidence the proposed Part B changes would impact patient access to drugs unless drug corporations withhold drugs from patients.
TRANSCRIPT
I have incurable blood cancer.
The drugs keeping me alive are priced at $325,000 a year.
There’s a bipartisan plan in Washington that would lower the price of my drugs by $100,000.
But Big Pharma has mobilized its message machine, lobbying furiously and spending millions to stop it.
Pharma says it will stifle innovation, allow government bureaucrats to control my health care, block my access to these drugs.
None of that is true.
The truth is the International Pricing Index keeps all the protections we now have to ensure access to these drugs.
It just brings the prices we pay in the US more in line with what other countries pay.
We can’t let Big Pharma and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with their millions of dollars of high-powered lobbyists stop this proposal from taking effect that would help so many Americans.
Tell your members of Congress to support the International Pricing Index.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the price of specialty drugs explodes, more and more Americans are going without the prescriptions they need, data from two new government reports show. According to the Congressional Budget Office, net spending on speciality drugs in Medicare Part D increased by more than 275 percent — from $8.7 billion to $32.8 billion — over a recent five year period. Meanwhile, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows one in 10 Americans are rationing medication. The uninsured are more vulnerable to egregious hikes, with one-third reporting rationing medication in response to high drug prices.
Specialty drugs — expensive medications that treat serious and life-threatening conditions like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and multiple sclerosis — are driving the spending, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office shows. Specialty drugs introduced after 2015 are driving the trend; in Medicare Part D, the drugs accounted for nearly one-third of net spending but less than 1 percent of all prescriptions.
The statistics only tell part of the story.
Ohio resident Bob Fowler, 68, has private insurance today and has delayed his retirement while battling cancer to avoid paying the king’s ransom in cost sharing he’d owe under Medicare Part D for his multiple myeloma drug, Revlimid.
“I want to live many more years in spite of my blood cancer,” Fowler said. “To have a shot at that, I need two things: life-saving drugs at an affordable price.”
CBO and CDC KEY FINDINGS:
Taxpayer spending on specialty prescription drugs has exploded.
Patient out-of-pocket costs soared in Medicare, but less so in Medicaid.
In response to soaring prices, patients are going without their medications.
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