Have you taken your pills today? Do you know what they cost? If you have insurance or are on Medicaid, you may be only vaguely aware. But if you’re one of the 50 million Americans who has no prescription drug coverage, you know. To the penny.
And you know that sometimes paying for your meds means not paying for other items, like heat or food.
Congress and presidential candidates keep promising to do something about prescription drug prices. But they haven’t, and states are moving into the vacuum. Maine came up with a plan to force drug companies to lower drug prices for the uninsured, or risk losing Medicaid business.
Just before the plan was to go into effect, the drug industry sued and yesterday the Supreme Court heard the case. The cure and the cause of pain: prescription drugs.
Guests:
Cheryl Rivers, executive director, National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices
Marjorie Powell, senior assistant general counsel, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Viola Quirion, senior citizen, Waterville, Maine.