Rev. Curtis Miner retired after 31 years as a pastor in Cedar Rapids. Curtis continues to be very active as a church volunteer and thanks to his prescription medicines, he’s still able to contribute to his community doing the work he loves. After being diagnosed with Asymptomatic Atrial Fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can cause other conditions like strokes in 2021, Curtis started taking Eliquis, a widely used drug that is also one of the most expensive in Medicare. 

Last year, the price of Eliquis under Curtis’ plan went from $135 for a 90 day supply to $500, forcing Curtis to make some tough choices in his household budget. But, hopefully, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, there won’t be more unexpected hikes in the price of Eliquis and the other drugs that have been chosen for negotiated prices in Medicare. The new Medicare reforms will lower prices on Eliquis and other drugs for the first time through negotiations and will stop drug corporations from raising their rates faster than inflation by making them pay a penalty. Holding drug corporations accountable for price gouging and making medicines affordable is the right thing to do.