Democrats at the State Capitol want to stop major prescription drug price increases, the plan is in response to years of double-digit increases in drug prices.
Garrett Clinard is lives in Lansing. He has a disease that causes calcium crystals to collect in his joints. Clinard can’t afford his medication because the price has gone up by almost 2-hundred dollars a month over the last ten years.
“It’s priced me out of the market and I can’t get that treatment and those drugs. And that’s just a really bad deal.”
The legislation would require drug manufacturers to justify price increases above 10 percent in one year. If a company doesn’t do that, it would be penalized 100-thousand dollars per day.
Republican Representative Hank Vaupel is chair of the House committee on Health Policy. He says he can’t comment directly on the Democrats’ plan because he hasn’t seen it. He says he is in favor of making health care more affordable. But Vaupel says he would rather see pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies work on the problem.
“Because legislation always seems to have its good side and it’s bad side. So I would much prefer to see the industry come up with some solution.”
Sam Singh is the House Minority Leader. He says this is an issue that should also be taken up on a federal level.
“The fact that Washington D.C is refusing to take action on these issues is disappointing. So we’re going to do whatever we can on the state level to move this conversation forward until they actually take action.”
The legislation would require drug manufacturers to justify price increases above 10 percent in one year. If a company doesn’t justify a price spike, it would be penalized 100-thousand dollars per day. The board would also ask the Attorney General to investigate a company the board thinks may be price gouging.