roanoke, virginia – Imagine struggling to pay for a life-saving prescription. That's what the Roanoke man is experiencing. They are calling on Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to sign a bill that would make medicines more affordable in the commonwealth.
“Right now, I don't have insurance,” said David Harper, a Roanoke resident. “I can't afford to buy medicine because I don't have a job.”
Harper takes heart medication that she needs to survive, but it's not easy to get because it costs $600 every 60 days.
“The stress of thinking about whether or not you're going to get your medication every month,” Harper said.
Some people agree with Harper that there is no need to worry about whether you can afford the medicine you need.
“Twenty-five percent of health care costs are spent on prescription drugs,” said Lena Hicks, executive director of Freedom Virginia. “That's why it's important to keep those costs down.”
Representative Sam LaSoul (D-Roanoke) is also a sponsor of the bill, which is on Governor Youngkin's desk.
“We have an affordability committee that analyzes some of the most expensive medicines, makes policy recommendations and brings them to the General Assembly, and strives to do everything we can to control the high costs of prescription drugs. ,” Rasoul said.
Advocates for affordable drug prices say this is a bipartisan effort. A poll conducted by AARP found that 81% of Democrats, 70% of independents, and 71% of Republicans support the bill.
“The reality is that Virginians pay significantly more than the national average for prescription drugs,” Rasoul said. “We need to stop Virginians from fleeing.”
Governor Yonkin has until April 8th to take action on this bill.
Copyright 2024 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
