MARQUETTE — Prescription drug prices — and health care in general — are top concerns of Americans, but they also are a source of frustration to at least one high-ranking Michigan politician.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, held a telephone conference call Thursday to discuss the subject, and was joined by Brad Woodhouse, executive director of the organization Protect Our Care, and Andy Slavitt, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under former President Barack Obama.

They denounced Republicans’ refusal to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices and their failure to condemn President Donald Trump’s Texas lawsuit to overturn America’s health care.

During the July 25 Senate Finance Committee markup of its drug pricing package, every Republican on the committee voted against the amendment introduced by Senate Democrats to require Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices, according to Protect Our Care.

In response, Protect Our Care Chairwoman Leslie Dach issued the following statement:

“Senate Republicans on the finance committee refused today to take meaningful action to lower the cost of prescription drugs and voted down a Democratic amendment allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices. Shamefully, every single one of them refused to stand up to the drug lobby.

“If Republicans were actually serious about reducing the cost of prescription drugs, they would have supported this amendment. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans support requiring Medicare to negotiate for lower drug costs, yet instead of doing what the American people have made clear they want, Republicans shot down the single most effective measure to lower drug prices.”

AARP, Stabenow noted, has endorsed the amendment for Medicare negotiations.

Stabenow, a ranking member of the Health Subcommittee on the Senate Finance Committee, said on Thursday she has been trying for years to get prescription drug costs lowered, and wants Medicare to be able to negotiate for lower prices.

“If there were a Medicare negotiation process, there would be huge cuts in insulin and cancer drugs,” Stabenow said.

She said the Trump administration and Republicans focus on taking away health care and raising costs, with Trump instead putting out what she called “junk drug plans.”

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration said it will create a way for Americans to legally and safely import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada for the first time. However, it’s unclear how soon consumers will see benefits since the plan must go through lengthy regulatory approval and later could face court challenges from drugmakers.

Stabenow said she has seen a lot of general statements, but no specifics.

“It appears they’re trying to talk about it without really doing it,” she said.

Stabenow fears Trump will back off the plan, having previously said he would support Medicare negotiations, but now is against them.

She believes they talk about drug prices because they know this is a crisis for people.

“Words mean nothing unless it actually results in accountability and lower drugs prices,” Stabenow said.

In fact, she released a statement on Thursday to further address the issue of prescription drug importation.

“This ‘action plan’ isn’t a real plan and lacks any real action,” Stabenow said. “It sets up undefined ‘demonstrations’ that are limited in scope and it could take years to finalize rules, all while U.S citizens continue to pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world.

“If this administration was serious about lowering drug prices, it should support passage of our legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices right now. The administration should also support legislation I cosponsored, the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act, which will allow Americans to import safe and affordable prescription drugs.”

In Canada and other major countries, the same medications are available at a fraction of the price that people pay in the United States, she said. In 2018, Americans spent $1,220 per person on prescription drugs while Canadians spent $831.

Woodhouse said it’s an important time for a “reset” in politics and health care, with Americans concerned about the costs of things such as co-pays, out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles and prescription drugs.

They’re also concerned, he said, about the Republicans’ “sabotage agenda” that would include eradication of the Affordable Care Act.

“We need to hear more about why he doesn’t deserve another four years,” Woodhouse said of Trump.

Woodhouse mentioned Protect Our Care’s upcoming Health Care Emergency Bus Tour, which begins Monday to continue the conversation about immediate threats to health care, which he said includes Republican policies that reduce care and help insurance companies make more money. The tour, which is expected to cover 5,800 miles in about three weeks, is scheduled to stop in Detroit and Lansing on Aug. 14.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.