The Inflation Reduction Act, Lower Cost of Medications and Health Insurance for MS: Bari Talente, JD

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

“One thing that I always want everyone to be aware of no matter their role is, that raising your voice and getting involved really does matter and does have an impact. I do this work because I believe that change can happen and can happen for the better. It takes the voices of healthcare professionals and people with MS and many others joining together, both sharing their experiences, and urging elected officials towards change.”

The Inflation Reduction Act passed by the United States House on August 12, 2022, included provisions that will help lower the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance for all patients.¹ The National MS Society and MS activists assisted with the act provisions for patients with MS as together they held over 2,000 legislative meetings, sent 10,000 emails to Capitol Hill, promoted social media content, and shared personal stories through other content mediums.

Currently the median annual price for a MS disease-modifying therapy is nearly $94,000, and prices have been continually rising since 1997.1 The drug pricing provisions from the act will not only help patients with MS with the cost of their medications, but curb the drug price increase, negotiate prices to bring the cost down, and also reduce the cost of insurance.

In a recent interview with NeurologyLive^®, Bari Talente, JD, spoke about the Inflation Reduction Act and what clinicians who treat patients with MS need to be aware of. Talente, executive vice principal, advocacy and healthcare access, National MS Society, also provided her hopeful thoughts for the future and what the clinical community should be informed on as the space continues to move forward.

REFERENCES
1. Multiple Sclerosis Activists Play Key Role in Passage of Meaningful Prescription Drug and Health Insurance Legislation. News. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. August 12, 2022. Accessed November 15, 2022: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/News/Multiple-Sclerosis-Activists-Play-Key-Role-in-Pass