By Clarence Gunn
The relationship between communities of color and the healthcare system is long, complicated, and often strained. We’ve faced hurdles from non-consensual medical studies like the Tuskegee trials to ongoing unconscious bias in doctors’ offices. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “people of color face persistent and significant disparities in health coverage that contribute to poorer health access and outcomes and unnecessary costs.”
Eliminating these disparities is a crucial part of the racial equity work being done in Washington. I’ve had the opportunity to work with countless community organizations and equal rights advocates to solve the challenges we face every day. Healthcare is foremost among them.
The state of Washington is taking steps to address certain challenges in healthcare, and the Legislature is currently considering many pieces of legislation that will improve access and lower costs of care. However, House Bill 1541 does not achieve either of those goals, and may even lead to decreased access and higher costs – two things that our communities simply can’t afford, in any sense of the word.
In recent years, biopharmaceutical researchers have discovered that people of color often react differently to drugs and therapies than their white peers. Massive investment is required to bring any drug to market, but our communities rely on further research and testing to ensure effective medicines. HB 1541’s reporting requirements mean biopharmaceutical companies will spend precious dollars on administrative burdens, instead of life-saving research. It will also put us at the mercy of other parts of the supply chain – bad actors, tipped off about a forthcoming price increase, may decide to stockpile drugs at the lower price, hurting patients whose providers and pharmacists suddenly experience shortages.
By targeting only biopharmaceutical companies for these reporting requirements, HB 1541 fails to hold accountable the PBMs and insurance companies responsible for price-setting. Patients are at the mercy of their carriers when it comes to drug costs – carriers that often use fail-first rules and gag orders to maximize their profit at patient expense. The cost of health insurance plans are skyrocketing – and doing so at more than twice the rate of drug spending. This legislation does nothing to alleviate the actual out-of-pocket costs patients face everyday.
Our communities are most impacted by healthcare and pricing legislation, and we deserve a voice in the conversation about the best way to increase access and lower costs. HB 1541 will do neither of those things – and I fear for our families and patients if it passes without significant reconsideration and changes.
Clarence Gunn is a long-time political and community activist affiliated with several community based organizations.
