Five Dems in Congress just published an op-ed in the Washington Post
detailing why Congress needs to move the $3.5 trillion "reconciliation"
package forward and ensure Medicare can negotiate prescription drug
prices. It's worth noting that these Dems represent purple districts,
including multiple who won in districts Trump also won in 2020.

Check out the op-ed below. Then, help make this HUGE by sharing their
op-ed [ [link removed] ]on Facebook and [ [link removed] ]on Twitter. The more people see this op-ed
from Reps. Colin Allred (TX-32), Cindy Axne (IA-03), Sharice Davids
(KS-03), Andy Kim (NJ-03), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) RIGHT NOW, the
more pressure will be put on Congress to include this critical reform in
the Build Back Better bill.

New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim was a PCCC candidate training alumni and
our first endorsement in 2018. It is especially bold that he is
challenging Big Pharma, which wields huge power in his state.

[ [link removed] ]Can you chip in $3 to Andy Kim’s re-election campaign to show him that
progressives have his back?

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WASHINGTON POST OP-ED:  

End the monopoly. Let Medicare negotiate drug prices.

Opinion by Colin Allred, Cindy Axne, Sharice Davids, Andy Kim, and Abigail
Spanberger

We represent a geographically diverse share of the American people — but
in each of our districts, we hear a collective concern. The high cost of
prescription drugs is hurting families — and it is long past time to bring
those prices down.

Pharmacists in our districts are telling us that they are seeing more
patients walk away from the counter without their medication. They tell us
they are hearing from families who say they have no choice but to ration
insulin. And they report speaking with seniors who have considered
traveling to Canada or Mexico to find cheaper options.

The pandemic has deepened this crisis, as American health care has been
stretched to the breaking point. We have heard incredibly personal stories
— thousands of stories — about how skyrocketing drug prices are putting
the health and financial security of hard-working Americans at risk.

Americans should be able to afford the medicines they need no matter who
they are, where they live or the size of their bank account. But too
often, Americans are forced to make decisions about their health based not
on what their doctor prescribes but on what they can afford.

At this moment, the pharmaceutical industry has monopoly power to set and
raise prices for thousands of prescription drugs in the United States.
Through intimidation, deception and millions of dollars in lobbying,
pharmaceutical companies have worked to keep the rules rigged in their
favor to avoid competition from lower-cost drugs and to inflate profits
for their executives. The current system is broken, and it is harming
Americans.

But now, Congress can stand on the side of consumers and take decisive
action to lower prescription drug costs for millions of Americans. By
giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, Congress can make sure
patients come first. 

Medicare, the U.S. government’s health insurance program for seniors, has
long been prohibited by law from negotiating the prices it pays to
drugmakers for medications. We know the pharmaceutical industry is using
this loophole to set and keep prices high.

That’s why giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices must be a
priority. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs already enjoys this
leverage. Extending that power to Medicare is a step the House took in
2019 with Republican votes — only to see it die in the Senate.

We have another chance to pass it now as part of President Biden’s
economic agenda. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act would allow Medicare to use
its bargaining power to negotiate fairer prices for drugs with
manufacturers and would extend those lower costs to Americans enrolled in
private insurance as well.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, people on
Medicare, as well as those who have private insurance, could see savings
of as much as 55 percent for some medicines if Congress moves to limit the
drugmakers’ monopoly. A 2019 study by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services found that the Lower Drug Costs Now Act and similar
measures would also save private businesses $43 billion over 10 years. By
lowering costs, Medicare negotiation would allow more small businesses to
provide their employees with health insurance, improving their ability to
attract and retain employees.

For those patients with painful chronic conditions such as arthritis, who
often pay approximately $40,000 a year out of pocket, this legislation
would decrease the price of medication to $10,000 per year, according to
the House Ways and Means Committee.

That $30,000 in savings could go toward groceries, rent, bills and so much
more.

It’s outrageous that pharmaceutical companies can charge Americans as much
as 10 times what they charge patients in other countries. As proud
American capitalists, we can think of no business in the private sector
that would handle procurement in such a manner.

Republicans and Democrats alike have known for decades that price-gouging
on prescription medicines hurts our communities. For too long, elected
leaders have failed to follow through on what they have been promising for
decades: lowering the price of prescription medicines so that every person
can afford the medicines they need to survive.

The American people need this policy, and they are telling researchers
they support it. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 88 percent of
Americans support these reforms. We can make affordable prescription drugs
a reality for our constituents by passing comprehensive drug price reform
and giving Medicare the power to negotiate prices.

Congress must include these comprehensive reforms in the reconciliation
package so that we can finally deliver the lower drug prices Americans
deserve. 

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You can see why this is exceptionally bold for Andy Kim when Big Pharma
has so much power in New Jersey!

Share this op-ed [ [link removed] ]on Facebook and [ [link removed] ]on Twitter.

And, [ [link removed] ]please chip in $3 to Andy Kim's re-election campaign to show him
that progressives have his back.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

-- The PCCC Team ([ [link removed] ]@BoldProgressive)

 

 

 


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