NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change

Dear Sanaor Ellzabeth Warren,

My name la Amy Burgner. I am a Raglstared Nurse with 22 years of experience, charged with managing patlenta’ phyalcal needs,
treating health conditions, preventing Iliness, and promoting health through patlant educatlon and advocating for them. Nurses are
critleal to Massachusstta’ healtheare system; Including coordnating care and ensuring that patlenta get the right medication. As such,
I confidantly belleve that the Senate and the overall Congress should priorttize Issues concerning medication avallabllity and
affordabllity.

I raguest your support for BIII HD.1974. Thls blll alma to remove all provisiona prohibiting or penallzing pharmaclata for diaclosing
Information ragarding the cost of prescription druga and the avallability of altemative druga to Insured Individuala (The General Court
of the Commonwealth of Massachusstta, 2023). In addition, the bill will prohibit health Insurance carrars or pharmacy banefta
managers from reguiring Insured Individuala to necessarlly make paymanta at the polnt of sale at a cost higher than that wtthout an
Insurance plan. This bill alma to reinforce similar efforta at the federal level, Including the Patlant Right to Know Drug Prices Act and
the Know the Lowest Price Act, and the Iinflation Raductiion Act of 2022 (Coppock, 2018; Shh at al.,, 2022). Both the House and the
Sanate hava bean conalstant that the govemment neads to provide affordable care. Medieation belng a eritical healtheare componant,
ansuring Its affordabllity ensurea eitizans of Massachusatts afford drugs and achlave better health outcomes.

Thia bill will Increase medication avallabllity, accesslbllity, and affordablity, Improved medieation adherence and health outcomes,
fawar morbidities and mortallties, and Increesed health-sesking behaviora amongst the Massachusetts population. Axon at al. (2020)
amphasiza that lower healtheare costs promota Inereased medicatlon adherance, by about 80%. Considering that Montaro at al.
(2022) state that about 25% of American adults or thelr familles have struggled with prescription fill, divided pliis Into halves, or
skipped doses In 2021 dua to cost concerna, supporting the bill will ensure that Messachusatts population does not continue to
undergo the same pradicamantt.

The bill will also ansure a safe operational budget for Massachusatts” healtheare organizatlons due to Increased drug accesalbllity and
affordabllity, which will promote rellabla projectlona of drug expanses and revenues. Furthermora, organizatlona would achleve saffe
staffing ratlos attributed to short langtha of stays and raduced hoapltallzation. Thla means that organizations In the state will ba
financlally sttable enough not to enguire for supplementary budgets from the state govemment to addrana prioe hikes and drug
shortages. Notably, such an eventuallty would affect other state governmant functions, If significant funding was to be channaled to
supplamentary budgeta.

NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change

Thla bill is culturally sansitive, athical, and eguitable, as it advocates for the lowest medicatlion prices for all Massachusatts population
Iraspective of race, gandar, rellgion, age, or socloeconomle status. This Ia the right thing for the state lsadarahip to do as it promoten
saving the llves of the cltizens. Convarsaly, falling to aupport thia bill would mean tha more of the population continues to experlance
low medication affordabliity and accesslbility, high morbiditles and mortalitles, and high healtheare organizational coat to addreas
Inereased health needs such aa hoapltallzation.

Lastly, thia bill will ampowar providars to educate patlenta about avallable optiona for spedifie disseses, and thua Increase the uptaka
of cheapar madication cholces. Based on professlonal exparlence, nurses are affactive patlent educators; I experlanced the succesa
of an awarenesa program champloned by nurses at the helght of the Covid-19 pandemlc that resulted In mass testing. Thia experlence
highlighted how nurses can both save lives and costs. This rellabllity level ensures that the chances of the proposed blll effectively
Impacting drug affordablity, once enacted, are high. Consaguently, more Massachusatts eitizena will guickly understand thalr right to
know the cheapest medieationa for thelr conditlon In the markat.

I urge you to support thla essantal leglalation to promote medieation avallabllity, acceaslbility, and affordabllity and halp citlzana In
Massachusetta lead healthlar and quallty Ife. Please contact me for any clarification.

Raspectfully Yours,

Amy Burgnar

Raglstered Nurse

Drlando Haalth

Orlando Reglonal Medical Canter

NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change

References

Axon, D. R., Vaffla, S, Chinthammit, C., Lott, B. E., Taylor, A. M., Plckaring, M., .. & Campbell, R. J. (2020). Assessng the assoclatlon
batween medication adharance, as definad in guality massures, and dlasase-stata control, health care utilization, and costa In a
ratrospective database analysla of Medicare supplemental benaficlarles using statin medicationa. Joumal of Managed Care &
Spaclalty Pharmacy, 26(12), 1529-1537. httpa//dol.org/10.18553/]mep.2020.26.12.1529

Coppock, K. (2018). Legislation Signed Into Law Prohlbiting’Gag Clauses’ for Pharmacies. Pharmacy Tlmes.
httpe://aacopuba.org/dol/aba/10.1200/jop.19.00606

Montaro, A., Kaaray, A., Hamal, L., & Brodle, M (2022). Americana’ challenges with health care costa. Kalser Famlly Foundatlon,
July, 14. httpa:/www.kff.org/health-costa/lasue-briet/amaricana-challenges-wtth-health-care-conta/

Shih, Y. G. T., Yabroff, K. R., & Bradley, C.J. (2022). Prescription Drug Provislons In the Inflation Raduction Act: Any Rellef of Financlal
Hardshlp for Patlents With Cancer ?. JAMA Oncology. dol:10.1001/Jamaoncol.2022.5805

The Ganeral Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetta. (2023). BIII HD.1974 193rd (Current).
malegislature.gow. https/melaglslature.gow/Blla/193/HD1974