This headline is a wake-up call! More than 13% of American adults – or about 34 million people – report that they know at least one family member of friend who has died in the past five years because they were unable to pay for medical care, which includes prescription medications.
The study, conducted by Gallup and West Health, also showed that 58 million people reported being unable to pay for their medications within the past year.
Study authors pointed out that the study is not intended to estimate the number of people who have died as a result of not being able to pay for treatment but rather the number of people who have ‘knowledge of a death under such circumstances.’
The authors capture the essence of the findings as such:
The substantial number of Americans who know someone who has died after not receiving treatment because of their inability to pay for it, coupled with the rise in the percentage who have not had enough money to pay for their prescriptions, underscores the urgency of the U.S. healthcare cost crisis. These realities starkly highlight the significant practical implications of drug prices on U.S. residents, as well as the effects of healthcare policy action — or inaction.
They attribute the urgency as arising from an ‘overwhelming public sentiment regarding the inappropriately high prices of prescription drugs.’
We emphasize that the timeliness and impact of these studies is critical for helping elected officials and leaders who are seeking public office to carry this message forward through influence and action.
The time to act on high drug prices is now.
Let’s turn up the heat and demand follow-through on the issue of high drug prices. Personal prescription importation enables Americans to access safe and affordable medication.
Let your elected leaders know how you feel by visiting our Contact Congress page, it takes less than five minutes to reach out to them!
You can read more about the study here.