February 24, 2020
Dear friend,
Did you know that more than 1 in 4 Illinois residents cannot afford to fill their prescriptions?
Prescription drug companies are charging Americans prices that are three, four, or even ten times higher than what they charge for the same drugs in other countries. They also subject Americans to unjustified annual price hikes far above the rate of inflation. As a result, across the United States, and in Illinois, seniors and families are struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy or to stay alive.
The soaring price of prescription drugs is crushing Americans at the pharmacy counter, driving up health insurance premiums, and creating unaffordable costs for taxpayers who finance Medicare and Medicaid.
94% of Illinois residents – like us – know this is a problem, and we need our elected officials to take urgent action to lower drug prices now!
CCHCC is excited to announce two events coming up soon in March, for consumers to advocate for state legislation to lower prescription drug prices, and to interact with state legislators:
1. Tuesday, March 3, 2020: Statewide Lobby Day to win passage of The Prescription Drug Affordability Board. We will be traveling to Springfield on Tuesday, March 3, to advocate for legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). The PDAB would a) monitor drug companies that charge high prices; b) use state buying power to pressure drug companies to lower their prices; and c) give Illinois residents a voice on drug costs.
The plan for the March 3 Lobby Day is to leave the C-U area around 8:30 a.m. A Legislative Briefing at Howlett Building Auditorium (501 S. 2nd Street, Springfield) will begin at 11 a.m. Meetings with area legislators will follow the Briefing. We expect to return to C-U by around 3:30 p.m.
If you are interested in traveling to Springfield for the March 3 Statewide Lobby Day, please contact CCHCC at 217-352-6533 by phone, or cchcc@cchcc-il.org by email to leave a message for Claudia.
2. Monday, March 9, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.: Town Hall on Rx Drug Prices with State Senators Scott Bennett and Andy Manar, and CCHCC. Please join us for this important Town Hall meeting on Rx Drug Prices to learn about the package of bills being proposed to lower prescription drug prices and to end predatory practices by the pharmaceutical, insurance, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) industries. Here are the details for the Town Hall:
WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on Rx Drug Prices
WHO: IL State Senators Scott Bennett and Andy Manar, and CCHCC
WHEN: Monday, March 9, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Illinois Terminal Building – 4th Floor – 45 E. University Ave., Champaign
SPONSORS: CCHCC, NAACP Champaign County, Protect Our Care IL, AARP IL.
We hope to see you at one or both of these events!
Sincerely,
Champaign County Health Care Consumers