- Piedmont Rising
NEW REPORT: North Carolina Seniors Struggle to Afford Increasingly High Prescription Drug Costs
August 25, 2020
NEW REPORT: North Carolina Seniors Struggle to Afford Increasingly High Prescription Drug Costs
Many seniors rely on access to affordable prescriptions
Ongoing War on Health Care is Especially Dangerous for Older Americans Amid Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic
Raleigh, N.C. – A new report released today by Piedmont Rising finds that prescription drug prices are prohibitively expensive for many Americans, causing many to skip or delay medication and that the ongoing war on health care is especially dangerous for North Carolina seniors and older Americans as the nation continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Key Highlights
7 million seniors in the United States can’t afford their prescription drugs.
22 percent of adults 60 or older with a chronic condition have stopped taking prescription medication because of the cost.
1 out of every 5 older adults reports not taking their medications as prescribed due to cost. Of this group, more than half did not tell their doctor or healthcare provider.
On average, older adults take four to five prescription medicines per month. Individuals who take 4 or more medications are more than twice as likely to have difficulty affording their prescription drugs.
“Access to affordable health coverage and medication is essential to ensuring North Carolina seniors get the lifesaving care they need, yet lawmakers like Senators Tillis and Burr have fought tirelessly to undermine health care protections which would significantly harm older Americans,” said Piedmont Rising Executive Director, Casey Wilkinson. “Senators Tillis and Burr still refuse to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Our seniors deserve better than they are getting from their lawmakers.”
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jessica Coscia
919-247-7999
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About Piedmont Rising
Piedmont Rising is a 501 (c)4 issue advocacy organization built by and for North Carolinians to advocate for lower insurance premiums and prescription drug costs and to ensure that more people have access to safe and affordable health care. Through grassroots organizing, education, and engagement, we are amplifying our health care stories and holding our elected officials accountable to the people, and issues they were elected to represent. www.piedmontrising.org