Letter To The Editor

Dear editor,

I was upset to see the partisan drug price controls bill pass last month in Washington. Like so many of my friends and neighbors, my husband is dependent on multiple prescriptions to stay on top of his health.

His was diagnosed with kidney failure several years ago and undergoes dialysis regularly. Our access to world class treatments has literally been lifesaving. It’s not lost on us how fortunate we are to live a country where patients have access to the best medications and treatments in the market. But our healthcare system as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act is inching closer and closer to those of foreign countries.

By allowing Congress to dictate the costs of certain medicines, Washington once again disrupted our free market. This could have disastrous effects on competition and new treatment development over the next few decades.

If our lawmakers’ top concerns were really about saving patients money, there are so many other options that would’ve reduced costs without interfering with the market. Turning the lights on shady middlemen like Pharmacy Benefit Managers or looking into capping out of pocket costs would’ve been a better place to start.

I hope that moving forward, they make better policy decisions.

Sincerely,

Jodie Dornak