Arizonans Celebrate Inflation Reduction Act Empowering Medicare to Negotiate Prescription Drug Prices

View a Video Recording of the Press Conference HERE

PHOENIX — Arizonans held a press conference today to celebrate the passage of the one-year-old Inflation Reduction Act and its provisions to empower Medicare to negotiate the cost of some of the most expensive and commonly used prescription drugs.

The White House this week announced the first 10 drugs that were targeted for price negotiation, including the blood thinner Eliquis, one of the most costly prescription drugs that over 71,000 Arizona Medicare patients use. Both Congressman David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani are members of the Republican Study Committee, which released a budget in June that included eliminating Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices.

“This is another life-saving health care achievement made possible through the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year,” said Teresa Dickinson, pharmacist and owner of Melrose Pharmacy. “Our seniors depend on access to their pharmacies and the continued solvency of Medicare. It is wonderful that Medicare can now negotiate drug prices.”

“I’m so happy for my fellow seniors that their drug costs will be coming down, because that’s just the beginning,” said Linda Somo, president of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans. “They’ve also limited out-of-pocket costs for seniors. Unfortunately my own Congressman, David Schweikert, voted against the Inflation Reduction Act. He’s not following the needs of the retirees and senior citizens who live in his district. We need him to support us, not vote against us.”

“Prescription drug costs are out of hand and the new prescription drug plan, when it’s fully implemented, will cap out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 saving me $5,000 or $6,000 a year,” said Doug Hart, a Phoenix senior prescribed Eliquis. “Pharmaceutical companies already negotiate prices with the Veterans Administration and they already negotiate drug prices with other countries. They can negotiate with Medicare.”

Footage of today’s press event is available online HERE.

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