FITCHBURG, Wis. — State Sen. Melissa Agard and Fitchburg Mayor Aaron Richardson on Tuesday touted the impacts the Inflation Reduction Act is expected to have on health care.
President Joe Biden signed the act into law earlier this month. Among its provisions are a number of steps aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, including the creation of a program to negotiate lower prices for certain drugs.
During a news conference at Fitchburg Family Pharmacy Tuesday morning, owner Thad Schumacher said he and his staff “routinely” see people taking less of their medication than they should due to cost.
When asked about whether pharmacies benefit from higher drug prices, Schumacher said the model for pharmacies to be reimbursed is “opaque” and confusing.
“What’s actually true is the drugs that are most expensive are the least profitable for a pharmacy,” he said. “In fact, many prescriptions we fill for insulin, we fill for a reimbursement rate that’s less than what we paid for. So, in essence, we’re doing it for free where we’re actually paying to fill those prescriptions.”
Richardson thanked Democrats who voted for the legislation, saying people not being able to take proper care of themselves is causing strain on EMS services in addition to residents.
“Every day I hear from people who struggle to pay their bills, they’re on fixed incomes, and a big part of that is because of health care,” he said. “Health care isn’t optional. It’s something that is required and important.”
Agard (D-Madison) blasted Republicans for voting against the legislation, calling their votes “unfortunate.”
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In a statement earlier this month, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson called the bill “the Democrats’ latest big-government spending package” and argued it would not reduce inflation as its title suggests.
“It’s hard to overstate the damage and destructive impact of the self-inflicted wounds imposed on the American economy by the Biden administration and its Democrat enablers in Congress,” Johnson, who voted against the bill, wrote at the time. “They are as detached from economic reality as they are from the truth. Giving bad policies a nice name will not prevent the harm they will inflict on us all.”
Representatives from a number of groups, including Opportunity Wisconsin, Family Friendly Wisconsin, For Our Future Wisconsin and Protect Our Care Wisconsin, also took part in Tuesday’s news conference.
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