About half of U.S. adults say it is difficult to afford health care costs, and about one in five adults say they have not filled a prescription because of the cost. So, what can we do about lowering costs to ensure timely access to affordable care and treatment?

In this episode, the hosts give us the 411 on Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs), how they aim to reduce drug prices, and why patients must be part of this process.

Among the highlights in this episode:

00:49: Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF, explains the role of PDABs, which are relatively new and aim to impose price controls on prescription drugs at the state level

01:04: Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director of Community Outreach at GHLF, and Steven discuss the high cost of health care in general, referencing The Kaiser Family Foundation data about the difficulties U.S. adults face in affording health care costs

03:38: Zoe and Steven discuss how high insurance costs can still be a burden, even for those with health insurance, affecting their ability to afford monthly premiums and deductibles

04:41: Steven explains the function of PDABs in reducing government and commercial market spending on prescription drugs and increasing affordability

06:50: Steven and Zoe discuss the selection process for prescription drugs reviewed by PDABs and the varying approaches of different states

08:12: Steven cautions that PDABs may not be the complete solution they appear to be, noting that they often lack direct patient perspectives in their decision-making process

09:50: Zoe shares a personal experience related to the high costs of medication, highlighting the challenges and stress associated with navigating health care costs

11:17: Steven emphasizes the critical role of patient advocacy in ensuring that the patient voice is heard and considered in health care policymaking, particularly in the context of PDABs

12:41: What our hosts learned from this episode

Contact Our Hosts

Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director, Community Outreach at GHLF: zrothblatt@ghlf.org

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Manager of Programs & Special Projects at GHLF.

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