Ahead of the State of the Union, Rep. Greg Stanton held a roundtable with seniors, AARP and Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans leaders to discuss the urgent need for Congressional action to lower the soaring cost of prescription drugs.
Stanton said that in addition to addressing the crisis in Ukraine and border security, he hopes President Biden will use Tuesday night’s speech to pressure Congress to pass legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
Efforts to allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies have passed the House but have been blocked in the Senate.
“Arizonans need relief when it comes to prescription drug prices, and Congress must take action,” Stanton said. “We have to keep our word to Arizonans.”
“If the Senate doesn’t act, people will continue to have to choose between paying for groceries and paying for medicine they need. Our members have a message to our senators: Don't let pharma win. Lower drug prices, now,” AARP Arizona State Director Dana Kennedy said. “So we're also going to be watching the State of the Union address and hope that the President makes this a priority as well. He has said so, but you know, talk's cheap and action is what people are expecting.”
“We are counting—the American people are counting—on what the House passed to move forward in the Senate,” Dora Vasquez, the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans’ executive director said.
“I've seen the statistics: more than one out of four seniors deny themselves the prescription drugs, the health care, that they need because they can't afford it. And for a while I faced that very dilemma myself,” Vernon Smith, a local AARP member, said. “There's nothing I can think of that would be more important than finding a way to slow the growth in the cost of prescription drugs, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, making them more readily available to all of us.”
“Reducing drug prices for patients would allow for more accessible care for patients, help them with their chronic disease states, and support them in their health care goals,” Mary Soto, the associate director of pharmacy at Mountain Park Health Center, said.
Other participants shared personal stories of struggling to cover high costs.
“I went from no prescription drugs to $15,000, boom, like that. I'm very fortunate I had good insurance. I managed it, but it was $15,000 out of pocket, in addition to the insurance premiums that we all pay. But it hammered home to me the importance of getting Medicare, drug prices reduced,” Ritch Stevens, chair of the AARP Arizona Advocacy Network, said.
“I've had the opportunity working with veterans and also with veteran spouses. And one lady in particular, was given two years to live. She had cancer and she had heart problems. She survived that. She has a medicine that costs $100 a bottle. She’s on a fixed income,” Dennis Prince Sons of American Legion (S.A.L.) Commander said.
Video of the roundtable is available HERE.