*No on 61 has outraised supporters six-to-one. As of October 2, 2016,
opponents have raised $86.9 million,
while Californians for Lower Drug Prices has received $14.6 million. The
top ten donors to No on 61 are all
pharmaceutical companies or companies with interests in the
pharmaceutical drug industry. Over 99 percent
of contributions to Californians for Lower Drug Prices came from the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Polls indicate
support for Proposition 61 to be around 69.5 percent.*
-------------------------------------
Drug companies making enormous profits from people's illnesses and
misery isn't Just a moral issue. Skyrocketing prescription drug prices
are a matter of life and death. More Americans die of hepatitis C than
from all other infectious diseases — EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A CURE, One
reason? The drug company that controls it charges more than $1,000 per
pill, out of most patients' reach.
That's not the only outrageous example of drug-company price-gouging:
The price of a common infection-fighting pill was raised overnight from
$13.50 to $750 — nearly a 5000% increase,
The average annual cost of widely-used specialty drugs is estimated at
$53,000 — greater than the nation's median household income ($52,000)
and almost 3 1/2 times larger than average annual Social Security
benefits of $15,000.
One cancer drug costs $300,000 a year.
The drug companies put profits over people, returns for stockholders
over cures for patients. What good are miraculous, life-saving
medications, if they're priced so high patients can't afford them — and
thousands are dying as a result?
Proposition 61, The California Drug Price Relief Act, fights back
against the drug companies' price-gouging. And it is expected to save
lives. *Here's how it would work: The Act would require the State of
California to negotiate with drug companies for prices that are no more
than the amounts paid for the same drugs by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans
Affairs (DVA).*
*Why the Dept. of Veterans Affairs? Because unlike Medicare, the DVA
negotiates for drug prices, and pays on average 20-24% less for
medications than other government agencies, up to 40% less than Medicare
Part D. The Drug Price Relief Act empowers the State of California, as
the healthcare buyer for millions of Californians, to negotiate the same
or even better deals for taxpayers, which could save billions in
healthcare costs.*
*Drug companies are planning to spend $100 million to fight this measure
because they know It would cause downward pressure on ALL drug prices —
and cut into their excessive profits.*
Don't just take our word for it, a publication for drug executives
called Prop. 61 "GROUND ZERO" in the national fight for lower drug
prices, warning:
"If the voters of California approve this proposition ... [it] would no
doubt cause an immediate demand for the same VA discount rate to be made
available to other states, the federal government, and likely private
[health plan] entities, as well. IN SHORT [IT] WOULD BE A PRICING
DISASTER FOR THE ENTIRE U.S. DRUG INDUSTRY."
But a "pricing disaster" for drug companies would equal price relief for
hard-pressed consumers.
Prop. 61 is strongly supported by the 86,000-member California Nurses
Association the largest healthcare-provider organization in the state;
AARP, the largest retirees' group in California, with 33 million
members; the Urban League; the Campaign for a Healthy California,
including many labor unions; Progressive Democrats of America; Sen.
Bernie Sanders; former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich; and many others.
JOIN US IN FIGHTING AGAINST HIGH DRUG PRICES AND DRUG COMPANY GREED.
VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 61. For more information, go to
www.StopPharmaGreed.com.
