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National MS Society Testifies on Critical Need for Prescription Drug Reform Before Senate Finance Committee

March 15, 2022

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Vice President of Advocacy, Steffany Stern, will testify on Wednesday, March 16 on Capitol Hill before the Senate Finance Committee as a witness at the hearing “Prescription Drug Price Inflation: An Urgent Need to Lower Drug Prices in Medicare”. The hearing will livestream at 10 a.m. (EST) on the Committee’s website. The Society continues to be the leading patient advocacy group raising awareness on the effect of the high cost of MS disease modifying therapies (DMTs) on people living with MS.   
 
Stern, whose mother lives with MS, will describe her challenges with affording her medications, share the experiences of other people with MS and advocate for potential solutions. “It is unconscionable that in 2022, people with MS and other health conditions who cannot pay for their medications would be in the same position my mom was during the 1980s - with no treatment option,” Stern shares.  
 
The full written testimony will be available online on the Senate Finance Committee’s website after the hearing concludes.   
 
The Society believes that medications can only changes lives if people can access them, and those medications and the process for getting them must be affordable, simple and transparent. The Society has established comprehensive policy recommendations on how the Congress and the healthcare system can improve the affordability and accessibility of MS medications since 2016. 

The following witnesses will offer additional testimony at the hearing:  
  • Rena M. Conti, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Markets, Public Policy and Law, Questrom School of Business, Boston University 
  • Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D., President, American Action Forum 
  • Stephen Ezell, Vice President, Global Innovation Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation 
UPDATE: Watch Steffany Stern testify HERE

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. Currently there is no cure. Symptoms vary from person to person and may include disabling fatigue, mobility challenges, cognitive changes, and vision issues. An estimated 1 million people live with MS in the United States. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to minimize disability. Significant progress is being made to achieve a world free of MS.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society, founded in 1946, is the global leader of a growing movement dedicated to creating a world free of MS. The Society funds cutting-edge research for a cure, drives change through advocacy and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: nationalMSsociety.org, Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867.

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© 2024 The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a tax exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its Identification Number (EIN) is 13-5661935.