TO: Prescription Drug Affordability Coalition FROM: Vinny DeMarco

We are making great progress in Annapolis but we need your help this week to urge Senators and Delegates to commit to becoming cosponsors of our life-saving Drug Cost Commission legislation.  Below for you is a sample note we would love for you to send out to your networks as soon as possible this week – today would be great!  One of our terrific consultants, Catherine Kirk-Robins or Rev. Sandra Conner, will be calling you soon to follow up.  And, please reach out directly to Senators and Delegates with whom you are close to urge them to become cosponsors.

Last week, we were very pleased to have the Montgomery County Council join the Prince George’s County Council and the Baltimore City Council in endorsing our prescription drug affordability proposals.  See the attached advisory about this and please share this with legislators from those areas.  Also, we thank Senator Katherine Klausmeier and Delegate Eric Bromwell for joining Tammy Bresnahan of the AARP and me for an event about our issue at the Parkville Senior Center which made the front page of the East County Times, see attached.  Also, thanks to Senator Klausmeier, Delegate Bromwell and Tammy, as well as to Senators Joan Carter Conway, Joanne Benson, and Jim Mathias, as well as Delegates Joseline Peña-Melnyk and  Cheryl Glenn and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen and Hank Greenberg of AARP for all speaking out in radio ads which ran across Maryland in support of our proposals.  Attached is a summary of the ads as well as the dubs which we urge you to spread far and wide through your networks!

With all this progress, we are poised to make more headway this week as we head toward the deadlines of February 5 in the Senate and February 9 in the House to get cosponsors.   We hope to have the bill back from bill drafting very soon so that legislators can formally become cosponsors, but until then, please urge them to commit to you to do so.  Please let me know at demarco@mdintiative.org  or 410-591-9162 what you hear from individual legislators.      

Thanks so much!

PROPOSED MESSAGE ON COSPONSORING

Prescription drugs are getting more expensive. During this legislative session, the Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition has proposed a Drug Cost Commission Bill that will help make expensive drugs more affordable in Maryland.

In order for the bill to be in the best position moving forward, we are asking you for one simple but incredibly important favor: please call/email your State Senator and State Delegates and ask them to co-sponsor the Drug Cost Commission Bill which will be introduced by Senator Joan Carter Conway an Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk. Their support and cosponsorship are incredibly important as it will increase the chances of the bill being passed into law. They need to hear from people like you that they should support this life-saving bill! 

To find your State Senator’s and State Delegates’ contact information, go to mdelect.net

When you contact your their offices, if you have a personal story about high costs for prescription drugs, please share it. In your own words you can say something like “Please become a cosponsor of the Drug Cost Commission bill being introduced by Senator Joan Carter Conway and Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk. This bill will help us make all high cost prescription drugs, including brand name and specialty drugs, more affordable for Marylanders.  We need this because the high cost of prescription drugs is making it hard for us all to get the health care they need.”

Thank you so much for your help and support to ensure quality, affordable health care for all Marylanders! If you have any questions, please contact Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative at 410-235-9000 or visit their website at www.healthcareforall.com