Let Medicare negotiate

 

Rep. Katie Porter (CA-45) confronted AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez about the sky-high cost of prescription drugs. She highlighted that the industry often blames the cost of research and development for high drug prices, even though they spend considerably more on stock buybacks, which primarily enrich their shareholders.

A group of mostly Democratic House lawmakers pressed drugmaker AbbVie’s CEO on Tuesday over the increased prices of anti-inflammatory drug Humira and cancer drug Imbruvica in the U.S. in the years since they first became available. AbbVie's Richard Gonzalez faced tough questions from the Oversight and Reform Committee, with Democrats accusing the company of taking advantage of patients and the health care system to charge more for medicine and bring in billions of dollars for revenue and executive bonuses.

Congresswoman Katie Porter secures free coronavirus testing for all Americans

The US representative Katie Porter has secured free coronavirus testing for all Americans after presenting compelling evidence in the US House of Representatives on Thursday. According to her calculations, coronavirus testing would cost a citizen a minimum of $1,331. She pressed a member of the administration to commit to making all testing immediately free and he conceded

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Katie Porter lambasts big pharma over cancer drug price hike using whiteboard calculations

US representative Katie Porter used her now-signature whiteboard as she grilled former Celgene CEO Mark Alles over the connection between the significant price hike for Revlimid - a common cancer drug - and his personal bonus.

The Democratic congresswoman for California presented her argument during a House oversight and reform committee hearing that centred on an 18-month investigation into pharmaceutical price gouging. The drugmakers defended the price hikes as the cost of doing research and development and talked about price-reduction programs that their companies offer

Republican, Democrat, or independent, nearly everyone agrees that we’re paying too much for prescription drugs. For too long, Big Pharma has been focused on enriching themselves and their shareholders—while Americans struggle to pay for their prescriptions, ration medicine, and even go without lifesaving drugs.

That’s why I’m leading the fight to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Right now, Medicare works to get the best prices for other types of health care—but there are laws that keep them from doing the same with prescription drugs. Allowing Medicare to negotiate prices will enable older Americans to get the best possible price.

I’ve also introduced the Freedom From Price Gouging Act, which would force Big Pharma to pay the government back when they price-gouge prescription drugs. When Big Pharma gouges prices, it causes Medicare (meaning taxpayers like you) to foot the bill.

And don’t let anyone from Big Pharma tell you they have to charge those high prices so that they can pay for research and development. The numbers show that’s BS.

Patients deserve better, and that’s why I don’t take campaign contributions from pharmaceutical company executives or PACs. That’s why I rely on grassroots donations from supporters like you.

Onward,

Katie

 

Paid for by Katie Porter for Congress

To contribute via check, please address to: Katie Porter for Congress, PO Box 5176, Irvine, CA 92616