7. The debate over a bill that could potentially raise the cost of prescription drugs significantly is set to heat up when the Legislature reconvenes this week. Pharmacists argue the fee is necessary to continue providing their service and others say the free market should prevail. State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Huntsville) believes the bill is needed to help small rural pharmacies and keep them in business to serve their local areas.
6. Driver’s licenses held by illegals, and issued by other states, will not be useable in Alabama if State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) has his way and his bill is passed. The legislation would prevent undocumented individuals from using their driver’s licenses as valid identification in the state. Opponents argue that the bill makes it unsafe for illegals in the state because they won’t have valid licenses to drive, which is the point.
5. The Jan. 6 committee may have kept some evidence from the public and other members of Congress that would have revealed that the President Donald Trump administration advocated for National Guard presence during the Capitol riot. The allegations claim the committee overlooked evidence contradicting claims of Trump’s reluctance to deploy the National Guard during the insurrection and furthers the claim of a multi-prong political, legal, and law enforcement effort to target the presidential candidate further.
4. Inflation is still a thing, no matter what President Joe Biden is trying to sell to the nation and IBM’s Vice Chair Gary Cohn is calling out that claim and another President Biden yarn regarding billionaires. On inflation, Cohn notes that inflation is cumulative and hurts people as it grows. The criticism highlights discrepancies in Biden’s statement about the tax contributions of billionaires because the bottom 50% of taxpayers pay 2.3% of all taxes while the top 10% pays 70% of tax, or far more than their “fair share.”
3. President Joe Biden’s attempt to shore-up support of his anti-Semitic base has shifted into overdrive this weekend following his statement that Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu and he would have a “come to Jesus” meeting. Since then, reports have indicated that Biden want to remove Netanyahu, American soldiers are headed to Gaza to build a sea port for aid to be delivered, and America is demanding Israel not continue to target the city of Rafah.
2. The issue of illegal immigration continues to be the No. 1 issue for the 2024 presidential election and that does not seem to be changing anytime soon with the non-stop flow of illegals at the border continuing and President Joe Biden stumbling on the issue daily. At the State of the Union, Biden called a rape and murder victim by the wrong name and called her killer an “illegal.” In response, former President Donald Trump met with Laken Riley’s parents as her mother slammed Biden while Biden was browbeat into apologizing for using the word “illegal” by an MSNBC host
1. Showing how much the fear U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) puts into liberal elites, she continues to draw the ire of the media, their Democrats, and “Saturday Night Live” who suggest her response to the State of the Union scared them and was full of lies. Truth be told, a story Britt told during the speech was from years ago but Britt told “Fox News Sunday” that she was told the story by the victim and never meant to imply President Biden was responsible. But after a presidency of unchecked lying by President Joe Biden, the fact-checkers in the media are back to attack his enemies.
Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN, Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440 from 10-11 a.m., and on Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
7. The fact that President Joe Biden does not hate Jews enough is one of his biggest liabilities among the Democrats anti-Semite caucus, so pro-Hamas protestors tried to block Biden from his State of the Union. Biden’s plan to build a sea port for one of Israel’s enemies with the American military is meant to blunt that criticism but that won’t work unless they help push Israel into the sea.
6. Your prescriptions could cost more if a bill proposed by State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Huntsville) is passed. The bill would add a $10.64 dispensing fee to all prescriptions, that is collected by the state but is “not a tax.” The legislation is designed to help local pharmacies compete with larger chains by charging more for prescriptions everywhere and sending the money to rural pharmacies.
5. The U.S. House has passed the Laken Riley Act, mandating that ICE detain migrants arrested for other crimes, which is not already the law for some reason. Riley was killed by an illegal immigrant who had multiple arrests and releases but the bill named after her had 170 Democrats vote against and the Democrat-led Senate will not pass it.
4. The Alabama State Senate has passed a lottery bill after a contentious debate about where the money would go, ending with a three-way split on education, the general fund, and roads and bridges. The Senate bill will allow a state lottery, a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, protection of currently operating quasi-legal gambling facilities, and an end to the discussion of casinos and sports betting.
3. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) criticized President Joe Biden for erecting a wall around the Capitol while neglecting to address security concerns at the southern border, but the imagery was to set the tone for Biden’s focus on Jan. 6. This all highlights how little the Biden administration actually cares about immigration policy.
2. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union was a pathetic, angry, shouty, squinty, rambling, mumbling, coughing, ranting, indecent, incoherent, stupid, silly, petty, lie-filled, insulting campaign speech delivered at a breakneck pace by a clearly addled old man who thinks Ukraine, Jan. 6, and “democracy” are the biggest issues facing America. The Democrats and their media are pretending they loved it and thought Biden looked strong, they know that this silly and this looked completely insane but they are giving points for being energetic and grading on a huge curve.
1. Alabama’s Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) hit on the issues and delivered a speech that actually tackled America’s problems instead of screaming at the nation. She reminded America that “Right now, our Commander in Chief is not in command.”
Listen here:
Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN, Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440 from 10-11 a.m., and on Talk Radio 730AM FM/103.9AM WUMP from 3 to 4 p.m.
As the nation grapples with rising healthcare costs, Alabama employers and providers are on the front line.
This is felt particularly amid a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape marked by groundbreaking, yet costly, treatments.
Drawing from a recent annual survey by the Business Group on Health, Axios reported employers are seeking strategies to curb rising costs without shifting the burden to their employees.
“The survey of 152 companies found employers expect their health costs to rise 6% next year after accounting for measures they use to keep costs in check,” Axios says.
RELATED: State Sen. Bell: Employer-provided health coverage works
“The vast majority of employers (96%) said they will continue to use prior authorization in their pharmacy plans, step therapy (94%) — in which patients must try cheaper medications before receiving costlier ones — and use of lower-cost care settings for physician-administered drugs like biologics.”
Robin Stone, executive director for the Alliance of Alabama Healthcare Consumers, said, “Alabama businesses, large and small, are investing in their workforce by providing access to high quality healthcare for their employees and their families.”
The Alliance represents a group of Alabama employers standing up for high-quality, low-cost healthcare in the state. Stone, who previously served as CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, is at the helm.
A 2022 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services showed Alabama has the fourth-lowest average annual single premium and family premium nationwide.
“However, the rising cost of healthcare, particularly pharmaceutical drugs, continues to be a serious financial challenge for employers who want to continue providing high quality employee benefits,” Stone said.
RELATED: Forbes releases list of Alabama’s best employers
Ellen Kelsay, Business Group on Health CEO, shares that concern, telling Axios, “As they have done in recent years, the companies in many cases are swallowing the bulk of increases instead of passing them on to employees.”
“How long they’re able to do that based on … conversations about the overall trend growing at an alarming rate is to be seen,” she said.
The annual survey strongly suggests the pipeline of groundbreaking treatments promises transformative health outcomes but at unprecedented costs.
“A balance must be sustained between the rising utilization of new, expensive drugs and other emerging treatments, and the cost of that care, if benefits are to be kept affordable and sustainable in the long term for employers and their workforce,” Stone said.
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
As our nation grapples with the ongoing debates surrounding healthcare reform, our elected representatives must prioritize the interests of patients.
I encourage Sen. Tommy Tuberville to stand against the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act, S. 1339, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
This bill will do more harm than good to our state’s patients and the businesses that provide healthcare coverage to their employees.
The proposed bill seeks to impose increased government control over healthcare, specifically targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their role in lowering patient costs. PBMs are vital in administering drug plans for over 275 million Americans who rely on health insurance from various sources.
They have gained popularity due to their ability to secure lower prices for prescription drugs, translating into tangible benefits for patients. On average, PBMs save patients around $1,040 annually, demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing drug costs.
A key aspect of PBMs’ success lies in their ability to negotiate for the vast groups they serve. By leveraging their influence, PBMs secure significant savings, which lower prices for health plan sponsors and patients.
These savings, ranging from 40 to 50% on prescription drugs and related medical expenses, significantly alleviate the financial burden on patients and contribute to the overall affordability of healthcare.
However, the proposed S. 1339 threatens to disrupt this delicate balance by introducing burdensome, big government red tape, such as demanding the disclosure of proprietary information. This move could hinder competition and harm consumers.
The intricate, privately negotiated agreements that PBMs enter into achieve the best possible patient and business outcomes. Forcing these agreements into the public domain could lead to unintended consequences, including increased costs and diminished quality of care.
Furthermore, the bill aims to alter and restrict essential practices that PBMs use to lower drug prices, such as spread pricing, administration fees, and rebates. This interventionist approach by the government runs counter to the principles of free markets and healthy competition.
By limiting the options available to PBMs, S. 1339 could inadvertently restrict patients’ access to affordable medications and stifle innovation in the healthcare sector. This bill should raise concerns among proponents of free markets and those who value patient choice and access to a diverse range of treatment options.
One of the most pressing concerns is that supporting S. 1339 could open the door to further government involvement in healthcare. If passed, this bill will set a precedent that encourages the expansion of government-run healthcare and, ultimately, a move toward socialized medicine.
For those who believe in the power of free markets and individual choice, supporting such a bill contradicts these core principles and could have far-reaching consequences.
I encourage our senior senator to oppose jeopardizing our healthcare system’s successful free market mechanisms that deliver lower prices for patients, such as PBMs. The potential consequences of S. 1339 on patients, businesses, and the broader healthcare landscape are not worth the risk.
John Merrill served as the 53rd Secretary of State for Alabama from 2015-23.
The rising cost of healthcare is a concern for every American with the cost of prescription medication increasing yearly.
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) were created to administer prescription drug plans on behalf of insurers and employers. PBMs serve as “middlemen” who negotiate prices between pharmacies and drug manufacturers on behalf of plan sponsors. They were supposed to reduce costs for sponsors, pharmacies and consumers, but this has not been the case. In fact, drug costs as a percentage of total health care spending have doubled to nearly 10 percent in 2014 — up from 5.2% in 1987.
In terms of total spending on prescription drugs, the numbers are even worse. Between 1987 and 2014, spending on prescription drugs increased by 1,010%! In the same period, patients’ actual out-of-pocket costs increased by 169%, with PBMs making an even greater percentage of profit. (more…)
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a prescription for high drug prices, but this is one case where the cure is worse than the disease.
Her plan would let the federal government set the prices that Medicare and private health plans pay for drugs. This means that a marketplace now regulated by competition and consumer choice would be ruled by government price controls, and that would not be a positive change for patients, our country or our future.
If Congress wants to tackle the issue of affordability, it should at least reform a system that currently enriches Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) at the expense of the patients Pelosi claims she wants to help. (more…)
AARP Alabama released a new set of data Monday that revealed the impact of high prescription drug prices on Alabamians, specifically for those living with cancer, prediabetes or diabetes and heart disease.
“While prescription drug prices continue skyrocketing, Americans are being forced to choose between filling life-saving medications or paying rent and buying food,” said AARP Alabama State Director Candi Williams. “So far in 2019, 29 states (including Alabama) have passed 46 new laws to rein in drug prices. It’s critical that state and federal lawmakers continue this momentum to stop Rx greed.”
In 2016, one in three Alabamians (35%) stopped using prescription drugs due to the high cost. An online infographic also highlighted recent price increases for select prescription drugs commonly used to treat cancer, diabetes and heart disease. (more…)
For decades, big pharmaceutical companies have raised drug prices with impunity. Here in Alabama, the average annual cost of brand name prescription drug treatment increased 58% between 2012 and 2017, while the annual income for Alabamians increased only 4.6%. Prescription drugs don’t work if patients can’t afford them.
In D.C., there is rare bipartisan agreement that something must be done. President Trump addressed the issue in his State of the Union, saying, “It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it.”
That’s why the Senate needs to pass the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act when they return from August recess. It’s time. We urge Sens. Shelby and Jones to back this vital legislation, which passed the Senate Finance Committee in July with strong bipartisan support. (more…)
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate has unanimously approved a bill by State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) that could help lower prescription drug costs for hardworking families in the Yellowhammer State.
SB 73, which passed the Senate 27-0 on Wednesday, clarifies that pharmacy benefit managers cannot use contractual “gag clauses” to forbid pharmacists from telling customers if they can save money by buying a prescription out-of-pocket with cash.
As of 2018, 25 other states had already banned the gag clauses that pharmacy benefit managers sometimes seek to impose on local pharmacists.
“Senate Republicans are committed to lowering healthcare costs for Alabama families, and I commend Senator Orr for sponsoring this important legislation,” Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed (R-Jasper) said in a statement. (more…)
Attorney General Steve Marshall is urging Alabamians to participate in the DEA’s “Prescription Drug Take-Back Day” on Saturday, October 27, at various locations throughout the state.
This year’s event, which is the 16th annual DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back, has approximately 50 collection sites scheduled to be available in Alabama on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
“Prescription Drug Take-Back is a valuable public service that protects our children, our homes and our environment,” Marshall said in a press release. “As a long-time prosecutor, I have too often witnessed the tragic results caused by the availability of dangerous controlled substances.”
He continued, “When prescription drugs are left in our homes, children and teenagers may be poisoned or fall prey to drug abuse and addiction. Your old medications can be a lure to criminals looking for drugs to use or sell. On Saturday, October 27, please take the opportunity to remove these hazards by bringing prescription drugs that are out-of-date or no longer needed to collection sites for their safe and proper disposal.” (more…)
In an effort to cut down on prescription drug abuse, the state of Alabama will participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 26th.
For the seventh time in three years, the Drug Enforcement Administration will give folks the chance to prevent pill abuse and theft by getting rid of medication that has expired, or no longer used.
The service is free and anonymous. There will be drop-off stations located around the state, which are listed on The Alabama Department of Public Health’s website, adph.org.
“We are aware that many times legitimately obtained prescription drugs are no longer needed and have the potential for misuse,” State Health Officer Dr. Donald Williamson said. “Everyone should be mindful of the risks they pose and this opportunity to dispose of their medications in the safe way.”
Officials with the DEA said that more than 371 tons of prescription drugs were turned in at 5,800 sites across the country during last year’s Drug Take-Back day.
Alabama Attorney Luther Strange believes it’s a no-brainer for Alabama to participate in the program.
“Safely removing and disposing of potentially dangerous controlled substances from our homes is an important and basic step to fighting drug abuse and drug-related crimes,” said Strange. “The overwhelming participation in previous Prescription Drug Take-Back Days has taken potentially dangerous drugs out of people’s homes, where they could be stolen by burglars or misused by children, making our state safer for the people of Alabama.”
The DEA says the most-used ways of getting rid of drugs, like throwing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet, are not the most effective. The Drug Enforcement Administration is currently working on getting new regulations approved that would allow users of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to areas authorized by the U.S. Attorney General.
The regulations would also allow the Attorney General to authorize long-term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances.
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Gov. Robert Bentley ceremonially signed three bills into law Monday in the Old House Chambers of the State Capitol to decrease the abuse of prescription drugs in Alabama.
The prescription drug monitoring bill revises regulation language for the Board of Medical Examiners allowing them to better police the use of a monitoring program that will name those who have received a controlled substance and the physician who prescribed the drug.
Governor Bentley says the database has been around for years. This law also allows Medicaid to access the database to check the prescription use of people enrolled in Medicaid.
The bill went into effect August 1st.
Also signed was a bill that seeks to more effectively regulate pain management clinics where medication is prescribed in an effort to stop the over prescribing of pills.
This law went unto effect in May.
The third bill signed into law is known as the “doctor shopping bill.”
This law makes it a crime for people to go to different doctors, at the same time, in order to get an abundance of prescription drugs.
If convicted the first time, the crime is punishable by up to a year in jail. If convicted four times in five years, the offender could receive up to ten years in jail.
This law went into effect August 1st.
Gov. Bentley said before signing the bill, “This is something that touches a lot of people in their personal and professional lives and it is something I take very seriously.”
“A lot of work has been put into these bills over the past year,” Rep. April Weaver, R-Briefield, added. ” Prescription drug abuse is on the rise and healthcare providers across the state can confirm that the cases are becoming more frequent.”
In 2012, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported that Alabama has one of the highest rates of prescription painkillers sold per 10,000 people. The governor says that his office is already seeing positive results from these bills being enacted.