Build Back Better Means Lower Prescription Drug Costs
Tennessee Pastor Calls on Lawmakers to Care for “Most Vulnerable”
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A Tennessee pastor affiliated with the Southern Christian Coalition is calling on his state’s federal legislative delegation to vote in favor of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan because the plan will result in lower prescription drug prices.
Rev. Gordon Myers — a Lutheran minister from Arlington, TN said of the President’s plan:
“No matter where we live or the color of our skin, when it comes to our health, we all want to be able to pay for the prescription medications that we need, without fearing we’ll go bankrupt. Certain politicians and their greedy lobbyists have sold off our health to the highest bidder, letting insurance corporations, hospital chains and pharma lobbyists rake in record profits, all while they deny us quality and affordable care. So, this act is moving us in the right direction, including capping the cost of insulin at $35/mo. We have to stand together to demand that our elected leaders pass this act and prioritize the health and the health of our loved ones over lobbyists and special interests. By joining together, we can ensure that all of our families get the care and medication we need at a price we can afford.”
Earlier this week, President Biden noted his Build Back Better plan included a provision that would lower the cost of certain prescription drugs, such as insulin.
ABC News reported that Biden labeled insulin prices as among the “most egregious” examples of out of control prescription drug costs.
The average sticker price for one month’s supply of insulin is about $375, Biden noted, but some Americans pay as high as $1,000 a month because of their prescriptions.
The popular provision to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for both Medicare recipients and those with private health insurance would be significant as just over one in 10 Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and approximately one in three adults have prediabetes.
While Tennessee representatives Steve Cohen of Memphis and Jim Cooper of Nashville voted in favor of the Build Back Better plan in the House, it’s not clear the bill will get the support of Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty.
