Havre presentation on lowering prescription costs held

Big Sky 55+ hosted a discussion in Havre Thursday on the future of the fight to lower prescription drug prices in the U.S. and Montana, especially for those on Medicare Part D.

Havre native Jacob Bachmeier, program director for Big Sky 55+, said this is part of a tour giving talks across the state and he's happy to be able to start in his home town.

"I know so many people in this community who are being ripped off," Bachmeier said.

He told the audience that by working together, people can fight for their interests, and, if they play their cards right, they can beat the big pharmaceutical corporations that set these prices.

Bachmeier said by any reasonable metric prices for drugs have gotten completely out of hand in the last decade and while the Affordable Care Act has helped a lot of people, especially those with pre-existing conditions, many are still being forced to make hard choices about what they can afford.

He said some have gotten to the point where they can't pay for all their necessities and are going into debt even as loved ones suffer due to the sky high price of many of these drugs.

He said there are a number of reasons that drug prices are so high for so many, the chief reason being the inability of Medicare Part D to negotiate drug prices.

Bachmeier said this inability, combined the monopoly power corporations have over sections of the industry through the use of exclusive patents, creates an environment where they can set price to whatever they want for potentially lifesaving medication.

He said a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh Center for Pharmaceutical Policy suggests that from 2007 to 2018, the median price for prescription drugs has increased by more than 9 percent almost every year, and a GoodRx study found prescription drug costs surging faster than any other medical goods.

Bachmeier said cancer drugs, already expensive without the influence of monopolistic corporations, are skyrocketing in price, often, seemingly, for no reason other than profit.

He said this has led to Americans having to spend more money on these drugs than residents of nearly any other economically comparable country.

Bachmeier said the U.S. is also unique in that it is one of the few countries that allows drugs to be advertised directly to people through television, further driving up demand.

But even as the corporations make incredible profit by gouging Medicare, he said, they still get tax breaks, and billions in public funding to develop drugs.

He said analysis of these companies indicates that they consistently spend more on CEO pay, stock buybacks and marketing than they do on research.

He said it's been this way for at least a few decades and Congress must act to implement long-overdue reforms, and not just ones that address cost, but ones that address price.

Bachmeier said price refers to what patients, insurers and providers are charged, whereas cost refers to what consumers pay.

He said reforms that address only cost often lead to cost shifting and increased premiums that insurance providers use to push costs back onto consumers.

Because of this situation, he said, reforms to address prices through negotiation or increased oversight need to be supported as the problem only seems poised to get worse in the coming decade.

A press release sent to the Havre Daily News from Montana 55+ and Health Care for America Now says nearly 90 percent of voters named lowering prescription drug costs as a top health care issue in 2020 and programs like VHA and Medicaid provide guidance on how Congress can lower the prices through negotiation, but Medicare Part D doesn't have that privilege.

As a result the release says, the Congressional Budget Office finds prices for drugs under the program are far higher than those that can be negotiated for.

Bachmeier said the prohibition on negotiation must be lifted, which will not only help Medicare recipients, but pressure the corporations to be more reasonable on all fronts, something he said U.S. Senate Bill 833 can do if it gains enough support.

He said President Joe Biden has voiced support for allowing Medicare Part D negotiation powers, and while Bachmeier said he doesn't have a great amount of sympathy for big insurance companies, which Big Sky 55+ often finds itself at odds with, they do suffer the consequences of pharmaceutical corporations' greed, so they have allies in this fight.

The release also says while veterans get a great deal of care through Veterans Health Administration, this push will help them too as many of them often need coverage through other sources including Medicaid Part D, and given the complex nature of many veterans' unique and overlapping health issues, they need all the help they can get to make drugs as affordable as possible.

He said the federal government must also enforce existing March-in Rights, which allow the government to license the production of publicly funded drugs to third parties when certain requirements are met, bypassing patents in order to keep the prices reasonable.

He said they can also increase transparency and oversight on publicly funded drugs.

There are no high-profile efforts in Congress right now to lower the age at which people become eligible for Medicare, he said, but it is also a policy position his organization supports.

Bachmeier said there were also measures in this year's state legislative session that could have helped the cause, introduced by both Democrats and Republicans.

Montana Senate Bill 137 would have required drug manufacturers to disclose their reasons whenever they raise prices; Montana House Bill 345 would have required them to disclose to the state attorney general when they are paying generics to stay off the market, and Montana House Bill 222 would have put a cap for out-of-pocket costs on insulin.

All three failed, he said.

Bachmeier said people need to call legislators and tell them that they care about this issue and want to see change.

But, he said, the most effective thing they can do is share their own story about how the issue has affect them and their loved ones.

He said lobbyist groups working on behalf of the pharmaceutical corporations have started running ads using buzzwords like socialism and Nancy Pelosi to scare people about the prospect of price negotiation, but these are ultimately dishonest tactics, not good-faith political engagement.

But, he said, sharing personal stories not only makes it clear how obviously serious the problem is, but connects with people on a more personal level and conveys the truth of the situation.

As an example, Bachmeier related the story of a Haverite named Monica who has multiple sclerosis and depends on expensive drugs for a minimal quality life.

"I've learned that when I budget for rent and utilities I also have to budget for medications," she wrote. "There have been times where I had to ration medications because of an unexpected bill, and I quickly realized that was a mistake. I can't imagine what it's like for others who are in more difficult positions. We are here to take care of one another. Nobody should be an unintended victim of exorbitant pharmaceutical prices."

Bachmeier said people can submit stories to Big Sky 55+ which will work with them to create letters to the editor and columns that can be used to spread the word, all with the submitter's permission.

He said they can also pay to send people to Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers directly about the problem.

Bachmeier said events like Thursday's can raise awareness and he and his organization are happy to help people with questions whenever he can.