Prescription drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them. As someone who is affected by the shockingly high cost of prescription drugs that is only getting higher, I’m grateful to see Congresswoman Susan Wild speaking out about this issue.
Recently, Wild, D-7th District, and 39 other House Democrats — including several from Pennsylvania — signed a letter calling on Congressional leadership to take immediate action and pass legislation that will give Medicare the power to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and bring down the high cost of medications for all Americans.
“President Biden supports this plan. We support this plan. Every Democratic member of the U.S. Senate supports this plan,” Wild wrote in the letter. “And most importantly, the American people support this plan. It is time to enact it into law. … Action can’t happen soon enough to make medicines affordable for the millions who need them.”
I’m one of the many who is impacted by outrageous drug prices, and almost everyone I know is worried about the high costs of prescriptions.
Even since Rep. Wild wrote her letter in January, the prices of hundreds of medications have gone up. Drug companies have already raised prices on 804 drugs this year alone.
I’m retired, and I live in Kunkletown in Monroe County. I know what it’s like to pay outrageous prices for prescription medicine.
My husband had diabetes and, at times, he had to pay up to $900 a month for his insulin. It was a real problem for us and he even cut back on insulin to save money, which can be dangerous. He passed away three years ago.
My struggles to afford medicines didn’t stop when I lost my husband. Twelve years ago, I donated a kidney to my daughter, and the medicines I now need to take for water retention and blood pressure are also really expensive. I also take medicine for my arthritis.
Being retired and on a fixed income, I have to be careful with my spending. I often don’t know what my medications will cost until I arrive at the pharmacy.
When I go to pick them up, I must make sure I have enough in my checking account to get the medicines I need. If I don’t have enough, I may turn around and leave the medications at the pharmacy, even though I rely on them to keep me well.
It shouldn’t be this way.
That’s why I’m so grateful that Wild and her colleagues in Congress are willing to take this fight on and get us justice when it comes to the price of medications.
Americans pay three times more for the same medications as people do in other countries. For years, we have heard promises that lawmakers would lower prescription drug prices.
In November, we saw tremendous progress toward that goal when the U.S. House passed the Build Back Better Act, which would give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, cap seniors’ out-of-pocket costs and limit insulin copays to $35 for diabetics with insurance.
Yet, we still haven’t seen action in the Senate on this historic legislation. And Big Pharma continues to spend record amounts on lobbying. Thanks to lawmakers who are speaking out about the cost of prescription drugs, we can do something about this.
It’s time for the Senate to take action. Reducing drug and health care costs should be top priorities for lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
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.
Donna Bowers, a Kunkletown resident, is a kidney donor who requires medication for her blood pressure. She is an advocate with Fair Rx PA for lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
