People battling serious or life-threatening illnesses are pleased with the new federal push to lower prescription drug prices.
The Biden administration announced Wednesday the first 10 drugs that could be up for price negotiations with manufacturers.
Medicare can now negotiate prices on these drugs to help seniors save
Ten new drugs are slated to have their prices slashed for Medicare recipients, but the drug industry is objecting to the new law.
Kevin Richardson is battling life-threatening health problems and welcomes any effort to lower costs.
“You know, you gotta wake up the next day and have it or if you run out, you don’t know what is going to happen the following day,” Richardson said.
Richardson is unemployed and his mother foots the bill to keep her son alive.
“Without insurance, it’s real expensive," Richardson said. "One bottle of them [medication] is $1,000."
The high costs for medications mean hard choices each month for patients, according to Christina Dryer, a registered nurse with Mercy and Truth Medical Mission.
“If you’re on Medicare or Medicaid, you are on a limited budget and that’s them choosing to eat for a month or get your medications, and unfortunately the choice is not going to be medications,” Dryer said. ”You can’t afford, then if they have a blood clot, they have a stroke."
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Mercy and Truth Medical Mission serves the under-insured or uninsured by giving them low-cost access to quality health care.
Pharmacist Michael Fink knows the impact lower costs would have on the people he sees every day.
“This might save them up to $1,200 a year in co-pays and they could also see a reduction in premiums possibly if there is a significant reduction," he said.
This story was originally published by Leslie DelasBour at Scripps News Kansas City.
