SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State lawmakers hope to significantly cut the amount of money you spend on medications. Many are hopeful that Illinois can become the ninth state to create a prescription drug affordability board.
A recent Public Policy Polling survey found 75% of Illinois voters take prescription medications on a regular basis. Although, an alarming amount of those people ration their drugs due to cost.
"You are being pitted against how much money is being made off the stock market or off of someone's profit," said Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago). "To me, when we have have a healthcare system that pits you versus the quarterly earnings and there's no controls to that, that is extremely dangerous to you as the patient."
A prescription drug affordability board could have the authority to evaluate high cost drugs and set upper payment limits for what Illinois consumers pay. Some doctors believe this could be the difference between life and death for their patients.
"Medication nonadherence or not being able to take your medication as prescribed is responsible for 1250,000 deaths a year in the country and 25% of hospitalizations," said Dr. Anthony Douglas from UChicago Medicine. "Those are very staggering numbers and it contributes to those healthcare costs."
The board would be able to review the prices of brand name drugs, biosimilar medications and generic drugs that cause affordability challenges for patients.
Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) said marginalized communities often get the short end of the stick while drug companies bring in big profits.
"It's okay for them to get Jardiance for probably $500 a pop and for them to sell it at that amount," Villanueva said. "Yes, I understand that the American dream is to make money. But when your money is being made off the lives of people, that's a problem."
Lawmakers could discuss the prescription drug affordability plan when they return to Springfield for a two week veto session in November.
"The reality is it's not okay that people have to literally spend their last dollar in order to survive something that is a survivable disease, that is something that can be treatable," Villanueva stressed.
There are currently 27 co-sponsors of House Bill 4472 in the House. The legislation was sent back to the Rules Committee on April 5.
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