Misleading MediSCARE Ads Are Bad for Arizona Seniors

Misleading MediSCARE Ads Are Bad for Arizona Seniors

By: Rae Chornenky

Right now, a dark money special interest group is running ads in Arizona in an effort to scare seniors into opposing ‘Medicare negotiation.’ These ads falsely suggest that the pending reconciliation package will cut Medicare - which could not be further from the truth. Not only does the legislative package currently include provisions to expand the coverage provided by Medicare, it also includes Medicare negotiation, a process which will significantly lower the price of prescription drugs. 

It is unfortunate that these ads are attempting to mislead seniors and others in hopes of defeating a policy that would benefit Arizonans: defeating it all for the benefit of Big Pharma’s already unmatched profit margins. 

In reality, Medicare negotiation would increase access to prescription medications for seniors, by reducing the cost barrier patients face right now. And any claim that Medicare negotiation would lead to less innovation in the prescription drug marketplace is also misleading. Big Pharma’s profits are almost three times those of the average company in the S&P 500. Pharma’s reduced financial footprint as the result of Medicare negotiation does not need to affect their research and development budget in any way – especially given that they already spend more on advertising, marketing, and lobbying than they do on R&D.

And, frankly, innovation in the pharmaceutical marketplace is worthless if patients cannot afford access to any of it. 

My fervent hope is that Arizona’s Senator Kyrsten Sinema will stand with and for seniors and support the inclusion of Medicare negotiation in the pending reconciliation package, so Arizonans finally get long-overdue relief.

Rae Chornenky is a local attorney, past Maricopa County Republican Chairwoman, and former President of the National Federation of Republican Women