Prescription drugs, health care dominate Ellison public forum

Jul. 20--MANKATO -- Julie Warner is concerned a recent legal battle in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals over the Affordable Care Act could result in the repeal of an ACA law mandating insurance companies cover people with pre-existing conditions.

That's a nightmare scenario for her, as she can remember working two jobs to pay an insurance plan in the 1980s to cover her daughter, who was born with liver issues.

"I knew that if I ever let that policy lapse, no one would ever cover her again," Warner said. "I don't want to see people go back to that. That is literally going to be a death sentence for millions of people if that happens."

Warner was among a crowd of about 50 people at Minnesota State University Friday night who urged Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and area legislatures to continue working on health care issues.

Ellison is touring the southern part of Minnesota through Saturday to discuss issues his office is tackling, which includes prosecuting wage theft violations and finding legal remedies to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

Ellison stressed lowering the cost of prescription drugs is crucial to helping Minnesotans' ability to afford their lives.

"If your insulin has gone up 1,200% over the past 20 years, you might not be able to afford your life," he said.

Other residents were concerned state officials didn't have enough oversight on HMOs running federally-funded insurance for residents. Ellison said his office was looking into HMOs within the state but couldn't comment further as investigations are ongoing.

Mankato City Council member Mark Frost, a pharmacist, expressed concerns over pharmaceutical company mergers which have driven prices higher in the U.S. when prescriptions cost a tenth as much in Canada or Mexico.

"It'd be nice to do something," he said.

Frost said he was also frustrated with ACA mandates that don't allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, or insurance coverage that doesn't pay for prescriptions people need.

North Mankato Mayor Mark Dehen also pointed out pharmacy benefit managers, companies hired by insurance providers to manage drug benefits, have played a part in boosting pharmaceutical costs, and therefore industry profits, at the expense of residents.

Rep. Jack Considine, DFL-Mankato, said he fervently supports more regulations for benefit managers who set drug prices. Considine discussed his own struggles with benefit managers, as he couldn't get coverage for medication his doctors prescribed to help him lose weight until late last year. Yet his insurance company switched benefit managers at the beginning of 2019, which denied coverage for his medication once more.

"I don't have a single nice thing to say about pharmacy benefit managers," he said.

Lawmakers did pass some prescription drug price transparency

Sen. Nick Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, said insurance issues such as prescription drugs will likely be addressed once people are more comfortable with ideas such as universal health care and government regulation for medical services.

Frentz pointed out Canada and other countries have drug pricing panels to judge how much prescription drugs should cost, but the U.S. doesn't have similar protections. While residents can't legally import prescription drugs from other countries, Ellison said federal officials have typically relaxed enforcement for people who are buying medication for themselves.

Getting the public to advocate for universal health care and lower insurance costs will be difficult, according to Frentz. About 61% of Minnesotans have employer-sponsored health insurance, which means they're not going to be as upset over health care prices.

"If we're going to move, there's going to be a jolt to the system, statewide or nationwide," Frentz said. "It's a jolt we should take, but it'll be a jolt nonetheless."

Ellison will hold a town hall in Worthington Saturday with Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, to discuss prescription drug costs.

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