Dear editor,
Every person, no matter where they live, what they look like, or what’s in their wallets, deserves affordable access to critical medicines to live healthy lives. Unfortunately, here in Wisconsin we pay far too much for prescription drugs. Last year alone, pharmaceutical companies made $1.3 billion dollars off of our Wisconsin families and neighbors; and across the U.S., Americans pay an average of four times more than other countries for the same drug. Coupled with broader trends in overall health care costs, this is unsustainable to our state. Prescription drugs only work if people can afford them.
We are still living in the middle of a global pandemic – we are losing our jobs, health insurance, homes, and every day we are struggling to make ends meet. We are also at a critical time to set priorities for the 2021 budget, and we desperately need it to include action on the prohibitively high cost of prescription medications. Make a plan to call your representative this week. Tell them we need a Prescription Drug Accountability Board authorized to set a fair price for how much we pay out of pocket for medicines and requiring transparency when corporations increase the prices of their drugs. Tell them to get to work, right now, to end price gouging by drug corporations.
Let’s speak to our state legislators with one voice. Let’s demand our representatives fight for us and fight for a healthier Wisconsin!
Kaile Sepnafski of Kronenwetter
Editor’s note: Wausau Pilot & Review gladly publishes commentary from readers, residents and candidates for local offices. The views of readers and columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot & Review. To submit, email [email protected] or mail to 500 N. Third St., Suite 208-8, Wausau, Wis. 54403.
