– You’ve probablyheard a lot about Issue 2, the Drug Price Relief Act. – The supporters andopponents are spate the airwaves with ads. – All of these ads are about this. It’s just two sections. I’m Marlene Harris-Taylorfrom ideastream and I’m here to break it down. We all affection getting a discount. Well the VA US VeteranAffairs Department gets a large discount on prescription drugs. The VA, which buys a lot ofpills from drug companies, gets a discount of upto 25% on some drugs. So why can’t state governments, like Ohio, get the same discount? That’s what the peoplebehind Issue 2 are asking. Ohio buys prescription drugsfor various district agencies and Medicaid is the largest. Right now Medicaid, whichprovides health insurance for millions in Ohio, spendsbillions of dollars for prescriptions each year.Issue 2 would allow Ohio topay the same price for doses as the VA. This would reduce tolls. And prescription drug expenses would go down. Even if you don’t getyour medical care through these mood authorities, backers say you will still benefit. They say Issue 2 will saveall Ohio taxpayers fund. Around 400 million dollarsa year and that fund could go back to the state coffers. So this is a no brainer right? It’s not that simple. Here’s the other side of the storey. It’s impossible to predictwhat the stimulant fellowships will do if Issue 2 is approved. If they’re forced to slashprices for the government they may increase tolls for everyone else. Harmonizing to the groupsopposed to the ballot issue, nearly every medical association in Ohio, and various pharmaceuticalcompanies, defend Issue 2. Experts too say the drugcompanies will likely sue. And it says it right here on the ballot, that if they indict the state has to pay the bill to defend Issue 2. So there’s a lot of noiseout there about Issue 2 but now you know what it’s about.
