As a national voice for individuals with liver disease, the Community Liver Alliance is acutely aware that patients need relief from burdensome prescription drug costs. However, the latest drug pricing proposal in the congressional budget reconciliation package will only make the situation worse for them at the pharmacy counter.
By allowing the government to set the price of medicines, it could limit investment in future treatments and cures while discouraging research into new uses for already approved ones. Ultimately, the proposal restricts patient access to critical treatments and prevents the discovery of new ones.
The reality is that, for out-of-pocket costs to be lowered for patients, the detrimental business practices of certain stakeholders, particularly pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), need to be reined in.
A holistic approach from Congress would open many avenues to cost savings, such as bringing greater accountability and transparency to PBMs to ensure patients share in savings.
We urge Congress to widen its myopic view of health care policies so it can effectively lower what patients pay while protecting access to medicines and the development of future treatments.
Suzanna Masartis
South Shore