A Michigan representative is hoping to rally support for federal legislation to rein in prescription drug prices.
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint Township) met with patients and staff at a Flint area diabetes clinic this week. He was there to hear their stories and to promote the Lower Drug Costs Now Act.
The act would give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, limit out-of-pocket costs and align maximum drug prices with the smaller amount other countries pay. The House passed the act last month on a largely party-line vote.
The issue is personal to Dan Kildee. He says his adult daughter, who is a Type 1 Diabetic, struggles to pay for insulin.
“Half of her after taxes pay check — one check a month — goes for the price of being a diabetic” says Kildee “It’s because she doesn’t have the kind of coverage she needs to get insulin paid for by insurance.”
The legislation faces opposition in the U.S. Senate and a veto threat from the White House.
Want to support reporting like this? Consider making a gift to Michigan Radio today.
