Donna Zeigler West is pictured in October 2021. (Photo credit: Donna Zeigler West)
One in 4 Americans do not take their medications as prescribed due to unaffordability. This is the reality for Donna Zeigler West, who had to seek out less effective medication when her prescriptions became too expensive.
Donna is a 65-year-old Las Vegas retiree who recently started on Medicare. Though she fortunately has access to affordable generic prescriptions, she recently had to opt out of taking the best drug for her condition due to high cost. Donna’s husband, who has atrial fibrillation, has drugs that can cost up to $300 per month. They are both on Medicare and support Medicare negotiating prescription costs.
If either one of us—me or my husband—goes to the doctor and they need to prescribe a medication, I’d like to know I’m not going to have sticker shock when I go to pick up the prescription. And I’d like to know I can budget out of our pensions what our prescription drugs are going to cost. I’d like to not have to hunt for a supplemental plan that will keep us paying a premium on top of Medicare.
Donna Zeigler West
Far too many Americans are forced to make sacrifices in order to afford their health care expenses. With the Inflation Reduction Act, Americans on Medicare will finally see their prescription drug prices fall and will not be blindsided by dramatic price increases.
Read more stories on how recent legislation has benefited Americans
This collection features stories from people in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire whose lives have been improved by the legislation passed during the Biden administration’s first two years.