What’s behind the drive to raise the cost of drugs? Drugs Americans need to stay well and recover from illnesses, or to cope with permanent health issues, such as diabetes. The answer is: Special Interests. Special interest lobbyists in the Pharmaceutical industry. The Pharmaceutical industry spent $187 million on lobbying in 2022.

The Pharmaceutical industry deployed 1,683 lobbyists in 2022. That is almost three times the number of members in Congress. But they didn’t start lobbying in just 2022. This has been going on for years.

Did you know that the Democrats have been trying to lower prescription drug costs for over 33 years to permit Medicare to negotiate drug prices? And that it has been 19 years that Medicare has been blocked from negotiating prescription drug costs.

They finally succeeded with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Republicans voted NO. And now? The race by Pharmaceutical reps and Republicans to find loopholes begins.

Fight at the ballot box. Vote FOR lower drug prices, for Medicare to have the ability to negotiate drug prices, and for you and your family to get the health care you deserve – not the lack of health care that the Republicans think you deserve.

Sources

https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/industries/lobbyists?cycle=2022&id=H04

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/politics/drug-prices-democrats.html

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/09/15/1123076966/legal-fights-and-loopholes-could-blunt-medicares-new-power-to-control-drug-price