Congress: Regulate Out of Control Prescription Drug Costs!

In December 2012, I was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative autoimmune disease for which there is no cure. To slow the progression of this disease, I was prescribed a disease modifying drug that cost $30,000 a month. As my disease progressed, I was moved to another drug that cost $55,000 a month.

These exorbitant drug costs are absolutely prohibitive. Thankfully, insurance covered much of the cost, but I'm deep in debt to cover the cost of these drugs.

Thanks to President Obama, the greatest number of Americans in history have access to health coverage. But America needs to control prescription drug costs.

The U.S. is the only country in the 34-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that doesn't have any government regulation of drug prices. This lack of regulation is what allowed Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli to raise costs on crucial HIV and malaria drugs from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill.

Drug companies take advantage of basic research funding from the government, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rigorous price transparency standards should be instituted for drugs developed from taxpayer-funded research.

People are choosing between paying their rent and filling their prescriptions — this is unacceptable. Please sign my petition and join me in demanding that Congress regulate prescription drug costs.