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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s recently proposed budget continues his leadership in addressing the challenges of the pandemic, accelerating economic recovery and meeting the needs of Ohioans. The budget proposes an important health care reform that would reduce prescription drug costs for patients, public employees and taxpayers. This innovation championed by DeWine would increase competition in the state’s selection of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — the middlemen that manage prescription drug benefits — to lower what they charge for medications. It’s called a PBM reverse auction modeled after a successful program we enacted in New Jersey, which is saving taxpayers approximately $500 million each year. Forward-looking states like Ohio are pursuing this to benefit taxpayers and public employees. (Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 3/22)

Kris Garcia, a Denver father of three and community activist, lives in fear of simple accidents. Garcia lives with four bleeding disorders, including hemophilia. Any injury could quickly result in a health emergency. But it’s not just the physical risks that worry him. Garcia uses a drug called Humate-P to control his conditions. One vial costs $10,000, he said. He needs four vials every time he gets an infusion, meaning huge medical bills and financial disaster also loom constantly over him. He said he works multiple jobs to make sure he can afford his health coverage and medications. (John Ingold, 3/17)

Far too many of our families, friends and neighbors lay awake at night stressing about the cost of their medications. They toss and turn, wondering what will happen if they skip a week’s worth of the pills the doctor prescribed to protect their health so they can pay this month’s rent. Over the past six years, the average price of drugs prescribed to treat diabetes, heart disease, depression and other common conditions has more than doubled. There’s little transparency about how or why this is occurring, but there’s no doubt that the trend is having a detrimental impact on families in our state. (Julie Calley and Abdullah Hammoud, 3/22)