TO THE EDITOR:
I’m old, and I take a lot of pills.
While I am pleased to learn that, under the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare is now able to negotiate prices for a few prescription drugs, and that in the future out-of-pocket copays will be limited, more needs to be done.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the way insurers and drug companies calculate the prices of medications — except for the profit motive. For example, when one of my medications was dropped from the insurer’s Part D formulary, my copay increased by more than 600 percent. When I searched for a new plan on the Medicare website, copays ranged from 400 percent to 1,200 percent of my previous level.
I found the lowest price for my medication at a local pharmacy, which does not take insurance. Completely bypassing the Medicare system saved me the most money!
Drug makers will not absorb revenue reductions from the out-of-pocket limit out of the goodness of their hearts. Part D participants are likely to see steep increases in their premiums for 2026. We will also see drugs dropped from formularies, and will have to jump more often through the hoops of prior authorizations, quantity limits, and step therapies.
We need more than a simple limit on out-of-pocket drug expenditures. We need a comprehensive reform of the whole prescription drug and insurance marketplace. Those who claim the “free market” will solve our problems are just misleading us.
My present congressman, Ben Cline of Virginia’s 6th District, is one of the “free-market” deceivers who voted against the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. I can’t believe he is truly representing the best interests of constituents.
That’s why I support Ken Mitchell, the Democratic candidate for Congress from the 6th District. I have spoken with Ken about this issue, and am firmly convinced that he will do a better job advocating for the needs of Medicare beneficiaries in our district.
Reese Bull ~ Mount Solon, Va.
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