Would negotiating drug prices lead to fewer choices?

Lowering the cost of prescription drugs for Americans is a priority for some in Washington, D.C., including the way Medicare negotiates prices.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, a trade group representing U.S. drug companies, is pushing back on those proposals in a television advertisement broadcast nationally and in the Cedar Rapids market this month.

The ad features a woman named Sue who says she relies on Medicare for her diabetes medication. In the 30-second clip, she states “some in Congress” want to make it harder for Medicare patients to obtain the medicines they need.

“They want to repeal a protection in Medicare that protects access to my medicines,” Sue says in the ad, which was first posted online Aug. 5. “They call it negotiation, but it really means the government decides what medicines I can get. That would make it harder for people on Medicare to get the medicines we need.”

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This episode of the Fact Checker Podcast was researched, written, and hosted by Michaela Ramm of The Gazette and co-hosted by Erin Jordan, John Steppe, and Marissa Payne. The Fact Checker Podcast is produced by Stephen M. Colbert and the music is Lobby Time by Kevin MacLeod.

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3986-lobby-time/

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/