In a recent poll, nearly 70% of Oklahoma voters said they expect to pay more for medical expenses and prescription drugs in 2023.
More than 600 people in the state planning to vote in the 2024 general election weighed in on who is to blame for rising costs and whether the government should step in and take action.
The poll was commissioned by Oklahoma Families for Affordable Health Care, which advocates for policies that reduce costs and increase access to affordable health care, and was conducted by Signal in early January. .
Respondents said pharmaceutical companies (34.8%) are most responsible for Oklahoma's high medical and prescription drug costs, followed by the federal government (26.5%) and health insurance companies (23.6%). Ta.
Survey finds Oklahomans are ambivalent about adding government regulation to health care.
Nearly 90% said the federal government should do more to address drug companies' role in rising prescription drug costs, and 3.6% said enough is being done.
But when it comes to state government, nearly half said government involvement in health care is generally “harmful.”
The study noted that the Oklahoma Legislature is considering outlawing certain low-cost pharmacy options, such as receiving discounts at certain pharmacies or having prescriptions delivered to your home. Voters were asked if they supported it. Most respondents (67.3%) said no.
“Oklahomaans want to keep their prescription drug costs down and are prioritizing paying less over having more choices,” said Oklahoma Families for Affordable Healthcare Executives. Director Julie McCone says. “They also understand that government intervention in the market will only lead to higher prices.”
This has been debated in state legislatures for years.
Lorna Palmer called. Oklahoma House Bill 2853, known as “Sharing the Savings,” is one of the most important bills state lawmakers considered in an opinion piece in The Oklahoman last year.
Palmer is executive director of NAMI Oklahoma, the state organization of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“Currently, prescription drug manufacturers offer insurance companies and other payers discounts and rebates equal to approximately 40% of a drug's list price. There is nothing you need to do,” she wrote. “Rather, insurance companies rely on affiliated pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) who negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies to increase the insurance company's profits and gain advantageous positions within the insurance plan's coverage. They are using these to increase their profits.”
This bill was not passed. Another bill, Senate Bill 549, related to pharmacy benefit management, stalled early in the session but was moved up for consideration this year.
In 2021, Governor Kevin Stitt passed Senate Bill 821 (Patients' Right to Choose a Pharmacy Act), even though it passed overwhelmingly in both the Oklahoma State Senate (40-3) and House (78-11). ) exercised its veto.
CVS Health argued that the measure would increase the cost of prescriptions for Oklahomans and negate the savings and convenience some customers enjoy by receiving their prescriptions by mail order. Lawmakers argued that this would ensure that pharmacy benefit management companies like CVS Health no longer limit what pharmacists can discuss with customers, especially regarding cheaper alternatives to prescriptions.
“We're grateful to Oklahoma's legislators for finding ways to help people afford their medicine,” McCone said. “But voters believe the best way to control prices is to let the market find solutions, rather than imposing further government regulation.”
When asked about their current health care and drug coverage, nearly half of those surveyed said they were somewhat or very satisfied with the cost, quality, availability, and accessibility of their prescription drugs.
