Op-Ed Bernie Sanders: A yes vote on Prop 61 will send a strong message to Big Pharma and Washington

By Bernie Sanders
October 21, 2016

Excerpt:

Their TV ads have mostly featured veterans who lament that if Proposition 61 passes the drug industry will raise the prices it charges the VA. Not true.

As the former chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I would never support a measure that harms our veterans. Pharmaceutical companies cannot unilaterally raise the prices of drugs it sells to the VA. The most the VA pays for a drug is either the best commercial price minus discounts and rebates, or the average price paid by pharmacies minus a large discount, whichever is lower. Those price caps are set in law. The VA also receives additional discounts if drug prices rise faster than general inflation. In other words, drug companies cannot just jack up the cost of drugs it sells to the VA.

In addition, veterans’ drug co-payments are fixed and do not rise even if drug prices go up. It is also important to note that veterans being treated for any condition related to their military service pay no out-of-pocket costs whatsoever for prescription drugs.

The drug industry also argues that less than 20% of Californians will benefit from Proposition 61. In fact, the measure will provide relief to all Californians whose tax dollars pay for the drugs used to treat many Medi-Cal recipients and state employees. Taxpayers would save an estimated $1 billion a year.

It’s unacceptable that the exact drugs that we buy in our country are sold in Canada, Britain and other countries for a fraction of the price. My urgent message is to vote yes on Proposition 61 to make medicine more affordable in California and send a signal to Washington that the whole nation’s prescription drug policies need an overhaul.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-bernie-sanders-yes-on-proposition-61-20161021-snap-story.html