FIGHTING POLICIES THAT ENDANGER ACCESS TO Life-Saving MEDICINES

Colorado doctors, patients, health care providers and experts are all expressing serious concerns about the impact a bill introduced in the state legislature this year will have on patients access to life-saving treatment. CO Senate Bill 175 threatens access to life-saving medicines by giving politicians control over what your doctor or hospital can pay for prescription drugs.  If the medicine costs more than what the state allows your doctor to pay, your doctor won’t buy the medicine, and you or your loved one won’t be able to get the treatment needed.

Those Most Vulnerable May Suffer the Most

Groups representing the disabled, LGBTQ, people of color, the underserved and Colorado’s seniors are speaking out in concern with SB175, especially the proposal that would let state politicians control prices and access to life-saving drugs.

Colorado small business owners and bioscience researchers are seriously worried about the impacts the bill will have on Colorado’s role as a leading medical research center.  And they are equally concerned about the gross interference in how life-saving medicines are priced and by extension how research happens.

Coloradans From All Walks of Life Speaking Out

This is just a partial list of the organizations speaking out against SB175’s provision to let state politicians control the cost and access to prescription drugs:

Colorado Society of Pharmacists
Colorado Retail Council
Colorado Gerontological Society
HIV+HEPC
Adams County Regional Economic Partnership
The Citizens Council for Health Freedom
Colorado Sickle Cell Association
Colorado Council of Black Nurses
Front Range Pharmalogic
West Slope Pharmalogic
Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation
Club 20
Westminster Chamber
Envision: You (an organization that supports, educates and empowers members of Colorado’s LGBTQ + (mental health and well-being for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning community)

You can read the specific concerns of many of these groups here:

The impact of Coloradans speaking against compromising care and treatment is being felt across our state.

These are a sample of recently published articles in newspapers throughout Colorado of people voicing concerns about not being able to access today’s life-saving medicines or seeing tomorrow’s cures be stopped in their tracks.

The impacts of Senate Bill 175 on our care are real.  But so is the impact of us speaking out.  Together we can stop SB175 from becoming law and cutting off our access to hures.

Mark Spiecker, STAQ Pharma: A state prescription drug board will backfire

 

Emily Zadvorny, Colorado Pharmacists Society: A state Prescription Drug Affordability board puts pharmacies, access to medication at risk

Jennifer Churchfield, Front Range PharmaLogic: State drug price limits would not drive down prescription prices

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Rep. David Soper: Colorado Should Reject European-style price-setting board

Joni Inman, Front Range PharmaLogic: A prescription-drug price-control bill is the wrong answer for Colorado

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Additional Resources

Opposition Testimony: CO SB 21-175 to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board

Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 17, 2021

SB 21-175: Provider Testimony, Senate Health and Human Services Committee

Dr. Miller Head of Rocky Mountain Oncology Society, Chief Medical Director of Oncology; Associate Chief Medical Director of Clinical Research, SCL Health Cancer Center of Colorado

Governor and Legislature Drug Pricing Bill Harms Patients

“Prescription Drug Affordability (Price Control) Board” Means More Bureaucracy – Not Cheaper or more Accessible Medications for Patients

 

Get Involved

The Missing Colorado Healthcare Link

Linking the right policy ideas with the right influential people is a great start to solving our healthcare challenges. But it’s just the beginning.  

Fixing healthcare is our shared responsibility. And Colorado citizens like you are the missing link. With your trust and support, we can create lasting change.

We can solve healthcare in Colorado. Ready to link up with CHAIN?

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