Dear President Trump,

The day my father had to be rushed to the ER after suffering from extreme pain for two days  as a result of high blood sugar was one of the most frightening experiences of my life, and the heartbreak of having to visit him in the hospital, hooked up to multiple monitors was something I couldn’t handle to see. From the experience, my father learned about the other conditions that have been affecting him without his knowledge, further increasing the number of prescription drugs my father has to take.

At this time, Biden had passed the Inflation Reduction Act, capping insulin prices at $35, something severely needed as insulin prices before the act could reach up to $500, creating issues for people who suffer from low income since a study conducted by Yale had found that about 14% of patients who need insulin face “Catastrophic” spending, meaning that they spend up to 40% of what is left of their income after buying food, or house necessities . In addition to the insulin cap, the act started the Medicare Negotiation Program, essentially allowing Medicare the ability to negotiate with drug companies about the pricing of prescription drugs. According to the New York Times article, “U.S. Announces First Drugs Picked for Medicare Price Negotiations”, some of the prescription drugs negotiated were specific medications meant for diabetes, as well as heart failure. 

Once you have taken office, you have worked to reverse Biden’s drug policies, and left the future of the Negotiation program uncertain as your actions imply no further attempt to move forward with the policy, leaving multiple citizens that are positively affected by the program scared regarding the outcomes, like my father. 

According to an AJMC article regarding your actions towards Biden’s drug incentive,  not only do your actions lead to uncertainty and fear within a community primarily full of seniors or the disabled, it implies a policy change within your administration. 

People are sick and tired of having to worry about when they will no longer be able to afford healthcare. I’m sick and tired of having to see billions of people, including family and friends, struggle to afford life saving procedures and medications.

If you want to better the American healthcare system like you said, rather than reversing programs set in order to make prescription drugs more affordable for certain families. Focus your energy on the realignment of your priorities, and make good on the promises you made to the American people who voted for you, because your actions not only affect my father but billions of other Americans. 

Sincerely,

Bryanna Lopez