Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

AARP AARP States New Mexico

Las Cruces Volunteers Work to Highlight Impact of High Prescription Drug Costs

Americans are paying the highest prices in the world for the medicines they need. AARP is asking people to join it in urging Congress to work together to find solutions to these high prices and lower drug costs.

AARP New Mexico and the Las Cruces AARP Chapter are sharing that message with area members and elected officials at both the local and federal levels.

T-Rex.jpg

On Oct. 29th, Las Cruces Chapter volunteers Patrick Gillespie and Dave Lynch visited with Rep. Xochitl Torres Small’s staff members Cody McCarty and Linda Cisneros, along with a special guest, AARP’s Rx T. Rex, to discuss how the high cost of prescription medicines were impacting New Mexico. The meeting was part of AARP’s Day of Action, asking people to call Congress and urge them to take action now.

Part of the visit was to share AARP’s support of HR 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote in December on the the bill, which would lower the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare Part D enrollees by requiring the program to negotiate prices and cap out-of-pocket expenses, states an article on AARP.org https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/prescription-drugs/

Three House committees have approved HR 3. The Ways and Means Committee last week added the name of the late representative from Maryland to the legislation.

AARP supports the bill and three other measures that have been advanced that would use the money the federal government would save from HR 3 to extend some Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing care.

The visit came on the heels of an AARP Rx Rally, also held in Las Cruces, this past August, to highlight the need for Congress to find ways to lower those costs.

Gillespie came up with idea of devising a scroll people could sign at the event to let New Mexico’s Congressional delegation know that people were tired of having to choose between paying for prescription drugs and other daily living costs like food and utilities.

“I wanted people to be aware of the issue,” Gillespie said. “It’s important to me because of the number of people that are impacted by this. We all need to be involved in this.”

“I thought the scroll would be a great way to get attention on the issue. If we could get enough people to sign it and then show it to our delegation, that would have an impact,” he said.

DeAnza Valencia, AARP New Mexico Associate State Director for Advocacy, was able to take the signed scroll to Washington D.C. and share it with Sen. Martin Heinrich, Rep. Xochitl Torres Small and Rep. Deb Haaland during visits Valencia made to Capitol Hill in late September.

Torres Small 1.JPG

Both local and federal elected officials spoke at the rally including State Sen. William Soules, State Sen. Jeff Steinborn, Mayor of Las Cruces Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces City Councilor Yvonne Flores, Las Cruces City Councilor Gil Sorg, Melanie Goodman for U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, Kristen Sullivan for U.S Sen. Martin Heinrich and Ashley Beyer for U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small

There is still time to join AARP and let Congress know that the time for lowering prescription drugs is now -- visit www.AARP.org/Rx


About AARP New Mexico
Contact information and more from your state office. Learn what we are doing to champion social change and help you live your best life.