In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like so many other Utahns who have faced this disease, I was terrified.
I was fortunate enough to receive incredible care from the Huntsman Cancer Institute and, after years of treatment, I am now in remission. But there was one moment in my battle with cancer that will stay with me forever — the moment I learned that the medication my doctors prescribed to save my life, Verzenio, would cost $20,000 per month.
I remember thinking, how can anyone afford this? The truth is, most people can’t. If it weren’t for the incredible support I received from Huntsman, which helped facilitate a conversation with the manufacturer to lower the cost of the medicine, I don’t know how I would have been able to access the care I needed. And I am one of the lucky ones. Thousands of Utahns — retirees, veterans, small business owners and rural families — don’t have that kind of support. They are being forced to make impossible choices between paying for their medication and covering basic necessities like rent, groceries and gas.
This isn’t just about cancer treatment — this is about insulin, heart medication and life-saving drugs that everyday Utahns rely on. Prescription drug prices are skyrocketing, not because of necessity, but because pharmaceutical companies have made the calculated decision to charge Americans significantly more than patients in other countries. In Canada, the exact same life-saving medications cost a fraction of what they do in the U.S. Patients in Europe, Australia and Mexico pay far less for essential prescriptions than we do. Why should American families have to bear some of the highest costs in the world while pharmaceutical manufacturers give other nations a better deal?
In communities across Utah, I hear from families who are struggling under the weight of rising costs. Inflation has already driven up the price of housing, food and transportation. When you add in the burden of outrageous prescription drug prices, the financial strain becomes unbearable. People should not have to decide whether they will take the medication they need to stay alive or put food on the table for their families. And yet, that is the reality for millions of Americans, including so many in our state.
Big Pharma continues to rake in record profits while everyday Americans suffer. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are padding their wallets while rural families and retirees are squeezed by a system designed to benefit shareholders, not patients. Enough is enough.
It is time for our congressional leaders — like Sen. John Curtis and Sen. Mike Lee — to take real action. They must champion legislation that reins in the unchecked pricing power of pharmaceutical companies and brings relief to Utah families. The American people, including 89% of Republicans, recognize that Big Pharma’s price hikes are a major factor in today’s healthcare affordability crisis. We need policies that prevent these companies from exploiting families and force them to justify their outrageous costs.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of survival. We have seen what happens when drug prices go unchecked. We have seen the financial devastation it causes. We have seen the lives that are lost because people simply couldn’t afford their medication. And we know that Congress has the power to change this.
As a cancer survivor, I understand firsthand what it means to fight for your life. But no one should have to fight just to afford the medication they need. It’s time for our leaders in Washington to stand up for Utah families, challenge Big Pharma’s greed and make prescription drugs affordable for everyone. Utahns deserve better.
(Tonja Hanson) Tonja Hanson is the Chair of the Summit County Council.
Tonja Hanson is the Chair of the Summit County Council and a fifth-generation resident of Summit County, where her family has operated a cattle ranch in Coalville’s Chalk Creek area.
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