– You’ve probablyheard a lot about Issue 2, the Drug Price Relief Act. – The backers andopponents are submerge the airwaves with ads. – All of these ads are about this. It’s just two paragraphs. I’m Marlene Harris-Taylorfrom ideastream and I’m here to break it down. We all affection getting a rebate. Well the VA US VeteranAffairs Department gets a large discount on prescription drugs. The VA, which buys a lot ofpills from drug business, gets a discount of upto 25% on some medicines. 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 position 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 drugs as the VA. This would flog premiums. And prescription drug expenses would go down. Even if you don’t getyour medical care through these mood business, advocates say you will still benefit.They say Issue 2 will saveall Ohio taxpayers fund. Around 400 million dollarsa year and that money 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 tale. It’s impossible to predictwhat the drug companionships will do if Issue 2 is approved. If they’re forced to slashprices for the position they may increase tolls for everyone else. Harmonizing to the groupsopposed to the ballot issue, nearly every medical association in Ohio, and several pharmaceuticalcompanies, defend Issue 2. Professionals too am telling the drugcompanies will likely sue.And it says it right here on the ballot, that if they litigate 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.
