Mainers Need Fair Drug Prices Now

Posted on 06/08/21

Americans pay more than three times as much for their prescription drugs than people from any other country and prices keep getting higher. In 2020, retail prices for 260 widely used brand name prescription drugs increased by 2.9 percent. In contrast, the general inflation rate was only 1.3 percent over the same period.

Make your voice heard here!

Many of us here in Maine know the stories of friends and family who have had to pay an arm and a leg to get the prescriptions they need. To be clear, piecemeal solutions aren’t helping Mainers who are struggling to pay for the medications they need while keeping up with their monthly bills. Mainers cannot wait any longer for relief from excessive Rx prices. That is why we’re tackling this problem head-on and getting at the root of the problem.

This week, the Maine State Legislature is considering a package of historic bills known as “Making Health Care Work for Mainers.” This legislative package would lower drug prices for Mainers and their families and protect their access to lifesaving medications:

  • LD 673, SP0260 “An Act to Create the Insulin Safety Net Program”
    This bill will fast-track insulin to those who need it most at affordable rates. It establishes a program under the Maine Board of Pharmacy that would require insulin manufacturers to make the drug more available to pharmacies to give to eligible individuals in urgent need of insulin or who need access to an affordable insulin supply.

No one should have to choose between buying food and paying rent or affording their prescription drugs. This package of prescription drug reform legislation is what Mainers have been waiting for and what they deserve.

What can you do?

  • Send a message right now to your State Senator by clicking here.

Feel free to send an email to the AARP Maine office if you have any questions about the bills mentioned here. Our email is me@aarp.org.

This story is provided by AARP Maine. Visit the AARP Maine page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.

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