“We Need Senator Manchin’s Support. His Vote Will Make The Difference For West Virginians. Please, Senator Manchin, Don’t Let This Moment Slip Away”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new radio ad today as part of its ongoing campaign in West Virginia. The ad highlights Senator Joe Manchin’s opportunity to deliver on his strong support for Medicare negotiation to lower drug prices for West Virginians by swiftly passing a reconciliation package that includes strong drug price reforms. The campaign includes a new 60-second radio ad and grassroots advocacy, in which patients call the senator directly thanking him for supporting Medicare negotiation and asking him to support the reconciliation package, including the current provisions that will lower drug prices for West Virginians.
“Patients have been waiting nearly 20 years for Medicare to be allowed to negotiate lower prices on their behalf. Right now, we are closer than we have ever been to closing a deal that would be historic in lowering drug prices for West Virginians and all Americans,” said David Mitchell, a patient with incurable blood cancer whose drugs carry a list price of more than $900,000 per year and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Big Pharma is doing everything in its power to block this from happening, and we need Senator Manchin’s support for a reconciliation package that includes provisions allowing Medicare to negotiate. Patients have waited too long; we can’t let this moment slip away.”
The ad launches as the Senate reconvenes and continues negotiations around the reconciliation package. The drug price provisions under consideration will, for the first time, authorize Medicare to negotiate prices directly for some of the most expensive prescription medicines, including insulin; institute a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries; and limit annual price increases to stop price gouging by drug corporations.
“It makes no sense at all that we don’t go out and negotiate. The VA does a tremendous job. Medicaid does it. Why doesn’t Medicare?” Senator Manchin says in the radio ad. The voiceover adds, “We’ve never been so close. The plan in Congress could pass right now. But we need Senator Manchin’s support. His vote will make the difference for West Virginians. Please, Senator Manchin, don’t let this moment slip away.”
Listen to the full radio ad here.
P4ADNow also released a new TV ad today in Washington, D.C., demanding that Congress include the previously negotiated reforms that lower drug prices in any final reconciliation package. All of P4ADNow’s recent ads can be viewed here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a campaign in West Virginia today highlighting Senator Joe Manchin’s commitment to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for West Virginians, emphasizing that the policy is a key feature of the Build Back Better Act, and asking for his support. The campaign includes a 60-second radio ad, digital ads, and grassroots advocacy, in which patients write and call the senator directly thanking him for supporting Medicare negotiation and asking him to get the job done by passing the Build Back Better Act, including the current provisions that lower drug prices for patients.
“Senator Manchin has been an outspoken champion on Medicare negotiation to lower prescription drug prices for West Virginians. The Build Back Better Act, which includes historic drug price reforms, requires his support to deliver the lower prices West Virginians need,” said David Mitchell, a patient with incurable blood cancer whose drugs carry a list price of more than $900,000 per year and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We know that Big Pharma will be fighting hard to block this reform, and we are counting on Senator Manchin to stand up to the drug corporations and vote yes for the Build Back Better Act.”
The ad launches following the passage of the Build Back Better Act out of the House of Representatives on Nov. 19. The Build Back Better Act includes drug pricing legislation that will, for the first time, authorize Medicare to negotiate prices directly for some of the most expensive prescription medicines, including insulin; institute a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries; and limit annual price increases to stop price gouging by drug corporations.
“It makes no sense at all that we don’t go out and negotiate. The VA does a tremendous job. Medicaid does it. Why doesn’t Medicare?” Senator Manchin says in the radio ad. The voiceover adds, “West Virginians know Joe Manchin does what’s best for our state. He supports Medicare negotiation, and we’re counting on him to support the Build Back Better Act.”
Listen to the full radio ad here.
All of P4ADNow’s recent ads can be viewed here.
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WEST VIRGINIA — As Congress works on a budget plan that includes giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, a new project shows the overwhelming, bipartisan support for this reform across West Virginia.
The findings are part of a new website and interactive map showing support for district-by-district and state-by-state data. West Virginia lawmakers and constituents can now find the level of backing for Medicare negotiation, opinions about pharmaceutical companies, concerns about Congress failing to act, and belief in pharma’s top arguments. The project was conducted by Data for Progress on behalf of Protect Our Care and Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
The model shows that:
The West Virginia data were determined using a large national sample of more than 4,000 likely voters and a sophisticated computer modeling program. Using the large sample combined with voter profiles, support levels have been modeled for all 50 states and 435 congressional districts, including West Virginia, and can be viewed here. The Data for Progress team used advanced modeling techniques known as MRP (multilevel regression with poststratification) to estimate support at the congressional district and state level. More on methodology can be found on the website.
“This issue has been litigated in the court of public opinion for years now, and even in the midst of a pandemic, voters are clear: They want Medicare to negotiate lower prices on behalf of Americans,” said David Mitchell, a patient with an incurable blood cancer whose drugs carry a list price of more than $900,000 per year and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Patients and consumers are hurting, too often having to choose between paying outrageous prices for their drugs or covering costs of other necessities. We support Congress and the Biden administration as they act to end this injustice in America.”
“Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anyone in the world. Big Pharma’s greed knows no bounds, and Americans from all walks of life are hurting from skyrocketing costs,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “The new polling from Data for Progress confirms that voters are fed up with the status quo and demanding action from their elected officials. It is imperative that Congress give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans — any lawmaker that tries to stand in the way is on the wrong side of this issue and on the wrong side of their constituents.”
“These numbers make it abundantly clear that voters want prescription drug price reforms,” said Sean McElwee, Executive Director at Data for Progress. “With strong support for allowing Medicare to negotiate to lower drug prices and the belief among voters that prescription drug prices are unreasonable, it’s clear that Congress must act to make these changes.”
Nationwide, the survey found that by more than a 2-to-1 margin, voters are more concerned that Congress won’t do enough to rein in the cost of prescription drugs than that Congress will go too far in restraining prices.
This new poll comes as the Senate Finance Committee is drafting legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate, which would deliver on the president’s Build Back Better plan. The House of Representatives will begin marking up the reconciliation package, including a version of its Medicare negotiation legislation, H.R. 3, this week.
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