“Don’t get old.” That’s what the 20-something pharmacy tech told me as she helped me figure out how to reduce a $500 bill for two life-saving meds my mother needed. I had stepped into the pharmacy at my local Dillion’s already nervous. The beginning of a new year also means the beginning of a new deductible.
This being the fourth year of my mother’s ongoing health battle, I knew the drill. It was going to be pricey. But I was coming in with a new diagnosis: congestive heart failure. And to no one’s surprise, Jardiance and Entretso — drugs used to treat congestive heart failure along with kidney failure and diabetes — are quite expensive.
As she rang me up, I could feel the nervous energy as she looked at me with a little pity and said “Your total is $507.” Unable to withhold my shock I blurted out, “Are you serious?” That was the price with insurance, might I add.
She nodded sympathetically, and as if it were a familiar routine, explained, “I see this all the time. A lot of people — especially older folks — have to leave these medications behind because they just can’t afford them.”
And things are about to get even worse for families like ours. Trump recently signed an executive order that rolls back Biden’s efforts to make prescription drugs more affordable. One of the key provisions Trump’s order rescinds was Biden’s initiative to have Medicare explore ways to lower drug costs, including imposing a $2 monthly cap on out-of-pocket costs for certain generic medications.
Meanwhile, the House GOP is already pushing ideas for massive Medicaid cuts in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich and Trump’s inhumane immigration plans, potentially stripping healthcare from millions and impacting people in all 50 states and D.C.
In the past four years, I’ve had many moments like this one at the pharmacy counter — moments when I understood just how fragile this system is. The reality of how easy it is to be priced out of life-saving treatments hits me like a punch to the gut every time.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions in check. Our cardiologist had stressed the importance of never missing a dose. His sweet, but stern warning rang in my ear: “You can’t miss a dose. Matters of the heart are important.”
Our healthcare system is fundamentally broken, and it’s the most vulnerable among us — the elderly, the poor, and those with chronic illnesses — who suffer the most.
“Don’t get old,” the jarring words that were a simple joke to be polite and keep conversation are actually a reflection of a true problem in America, a problem that is bound to get worse under Trump 2.0: Our government and economy isn’t set up to care about us.
But it can be. And groups like Community Change are rounding up the organizers and ordinary Americans ready to forge a new path to build stronger programs for food and healthcare and fight our billionaire’s economy.
We must reflect deeper about the purpose of our social safety net and how we can ensure it actually meets our needs. Programs like Medicare and Medicaid are designed to provide a lifeline for those struggling to make ends meet. However, as I witnessed firsthand, even with benefits and insurance, the costs of healthcare can be crippling.
Medicare covers millions of seniors and people with disabilities and Medicaid provides healthcare to low-income people and families. But even with this coverage, out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications, specialists, and other services can be excessively high. So while these safety net programs are vital, they need to be expanded and come with less restrictions in order to meet the true costs of care.
In many states — particularly in the South — political leaders have blocked Medicaid expansion, leaving millions, especially in Black and marginalized communities, without access to affordable care. In contrast, Medicaid expansion states have seen significant improvements in coverage and health outcomes.
Additionally, some states are considering more burdensome work requirements, risking access to basic care for people like stay-at-home parents, students, and people with disabilities. These measures would lead to more people getting sick, more medical debt, and more strain on local economies and taxpayers.
My fleeting, yet painfully important experience at the pharmacy was a stark reminder that we must organize to build a society that prioritizes the well-being of its most vulnerable members. Despite the joking advice of the pharmacist, we’re all going to keep getting older. And as we age, our healthcare needs often increase, and the costs associated with those needs shouldn’t be devastating.
It’s unacceptable that in a country as wealthy as ours, people are forced to choose between paying for life-saving medications or putting food on the table. As we continue to navigate my mother’s health journey this fear lives within me. For now, I’m lucky enough to support my family, and if need be, pay a painful $500. But what if this all becomes too much? Life happens. People get laid off, expenses go up, and savings get drained. Will there ever be a time when I’m faced with this decision?
And I can’t help but think of all of the other people who aren’t as lucky, who are racking up debt to pay for medications and suffering to survive the billionaire’s economy — and the millions more who might join them if the worst of the GOP’s agenda passes.
Together, we must work towards a future where access to affordable healthcare is a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it.