September 07, 2023

Alliance Members Spread the Word about the Benefits of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation

Days after the Biden-Harris administration unveiled the list of 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to Medicare price negotiation, Alliance members across the country joined elected leaders and Cabinet officials to inform older Americans about this important development.

The list includes several drugs that many seniors use, including Eliquis and Xarelto, which are used to treat blood clots; and Jardiance, Jenuvia, Farxiga, and Fiasp (along with Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog and PenFill), which are used to treat diabetes.

Maryland/DC Alliance member Pam Parker joined U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on a panel in Chantilly, Virginia Tuesday touting the drug price negotiation benefits. Senator Mark Kelly (AZ) joined Alliance members Wednesday to discuss how Medicare negotiations will lower prescription drug costs for Arizonans. You can watch the event here.

“Seniors have paid as much as $6,500 a year in out of pocket costs for just one of these drugs,” said Arizona Alliance president Linda Somo at the event. “Prescription drugs don’t work if people can’t afford to take them.”

Former Arizona Alliance president Doug Hart, who takes two pills a day of blood thinner Eliquis, spoke to television station ABC15 about what drug price negotiation means for him.

“Thanks to President Biden and years of grassroots activism by Alliance members, Medicare will be able to negotiate prices on these drugs beginning in 2026,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “The drugs involved are some of the most expensive medications on the market, and that means seniors and taxpayers will save billions of dollars.”