Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA) released the below statement ahead of President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address:
As we eagerly await President Biden’s address, CCPA hopes that improvements to our health care system and the interests of chronic disease patients are placed at the forefront of the national agenda. Changes to the health care systems have a disproportionate impact on individuals who need it the most – those living with chronic conditions and diseases. We advocate for immediate attention in several key areas:
- Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs): It must be recognized that PBMs play a significant role in exacerbating the issue of high drug prices for patients, often driving up costs and creating barriers to access. The Biden-Harris Administration’s health care efforts must address how PBM practices impact access, affordability, and outcomes for patients with complex and chronic conditions.
- Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): It’s vital to take a patient-focused path and advocate against short term “quick fixes” that cut prescription costs while undercutting the innovation and research upon which patients depend. We implore the Biden-Harris Administration to take a long-term, multi-year approach to patient engagement in the drug negotiation process. By prioritizing patient input and monitoring the real-world impact of these policies over time, we can ensure that patients’ needs remain at the forefront of decision-making.
- Copay Accumulators: Copay accumulator adjustment programs disproportionally hurt the most vulnerable patients – primarily people with chronic diseases who are the most in need of maintaining a medication regimen over time. The Biden-Harris Administration must follow the lead of 17 states and Puerto Rico that have already passed laws requiring any payment and discount made by or on behalf of the patient to be applied to a patient’s annual out-of-pocket cost-sharing requirement and ban these programs.
We look forward to listening to President Biden’s State of the Union Address and remain committed to collaborating with the Administration, Congress, and other stakeholders to protect patient interests and ensure they have access to the medication and treatments they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.