Washington delegates who represent Vermont all seem to share the same message - make medication affordable so that people can live.
According to an an article by the Washington Post, American's with diabetes are suffering. The cost of their medication is so high that they often have to choose between necessities like rent and food vs the very medication that keeps them alive. Some Americans have died from trying to ration their insulin. While this story is specific to people with diabetes, people who rely on other types of medication to stay alive are facing the same dilemma.
A bill sponsored by Vermont State Representative Peter Welch aims to combat the expensive cost of insulin that's produced in the United States by allowing people to import safe alternatives from Canada. It also asks the Food and Drug Administration to consider other sources to import from as well.
Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders and colleagues have introduced several bills to control the price of prescription drugs, drugs covered by Medicare, and the safe importation of prescription drugs. Senator Patrick Leahy wants insurance companies to be held to the same pricing and trading standards as other for-profit companies and to deter large pharmaceutical companies from blocking the production and sale of affordable alternatives.
For more information about legislation and the price of medication, amendments, and which policy makers supports these bills, click the links within the article and consider checking them periodically for changes.\
Side notes:
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Around this time last year CNN reported that 3.2 million American's were uninsured - that's the amount of people who had to pay for their medication out of pocket.