Too many Delawareans like me are suffering from pharmaceutical company greed.
I am a retired nurse and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 15 years ago. Initially, I was able to receive grants for Tecfidera, a medication priced at $8,200 per month that greatly improved my quality of life. But since the grants dried up, I have been living with untreated MS. I experience intense symptoms, including hot flashes, brain fog, double vision and leg spasms. I also live with Type 2 diabetes and had to stop taking my Trulicity after it became too expensive.
My “golden years” of retirement haven’t been what I envisioned at all.
The reforms that are in the Build Back Better Act would help me by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for drugs, penalizing drugmakers for raising prices above the rate of inflation and capping out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 per year. These provisions would directly help me save money. Biogen has hiked the price of Tecfidera by more than the rate of inflation multiple times since 2013, and Trulicity will likely be eligible for negotiation under the current framework.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with Democratic U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons’ offices to share my experiences with high drug prices and explain why patients like me need their support for the Build Back Better Act with the current drug-pricing provisions. I am relieved that both senators support this legislation to make drugs more affordable.
Delawareans are counting on them to get the job done by passing the Build Back Better Act.
Janet Schwartz
Newark
