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PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
A Vicious Cycle of Health Inequity highlights the disproportionate impact of high prescription drug prices on Latinos in the US, and shows that Latinos overwhelmingly want their elected leaders to take action to lower drug costs.
The report highlights that because Latinos in the US are more likely to live with chronic health conditions that require prescription medicines to stay healthy, and are more likely to be uninsured, they are disproportionately impacted by high prescription drug costs. The report includes specific actions that Latinos support to lower drug costs, including making prescription drugs developed with taxpayer dollars affordable, limiting drug companies’ monopoly power to set prices on drugs, and giving Medicare the power to negotiate prices, and more.
The report comes as the pharmaceutical industry raised prices on 813 of its most popular drugs in just the first half of January, using their monopoly control over prices to gouge patients for necessary medications in the middle of a public health crisis and economic recession.
The UnidosUS Action Fund has partnered with the Lower Drug Prices Now coalition to bring attention to the spiraling cost of prescription drugs. With the Affordable Care Act at stake, it is imperative that Congress act now to make prescription drugs affordable and accessible to everyone. We hired Lake Research Partners to survey Latinos nationwide to assess their views on prescription drugs. The key findings can be found here and the full bannerbook can be found here.
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS:
Latinos express strong concerns around the coronavirus, especially around how it can impact the health of children and seniors in their communities.
• More than half of Latinos nationwide (51 percent) have either had COVID-19 themselves (8 percent) or have a close friend (25 percent) or family member (33 percent) who have had COVID-19.
• Two-thirds (67 percent) of Latinos have serious or some doubts about Donald Trump because “he thinks of
the coronavirus as a public relations problem instead of a problem that threatens the health of people in our communities, especially seniors and children.”
• Latinos react with more intensity around this statement than nearly every other statement tested.
Trump's handling of the coronavirus raises serious doubts for Latinos because he is ignoring the advice of experts and compromising our safety by trying to rush approval of a vaccine.
• Two-thirds (67 percent) have serious or some doubts about Donald Trump because “he publicly ignores the advice and recommendations from experts including doctors and scientists.”
• A similar 66 percent have serious or some doubts because “he's compromising our safety by trying to rush approval of a vaccine against the advice of public health experts.”
Latinos believe that Joe Biden would do a better job than Donald Trump across issues.
• On the coronavirus, 69 percent of Latinos say Biden would do a better job; 19 percent say Trump.
• On healthcare, 68 percent say Biden would do a better job; 19 percent say Trump.
• On prescription drug prices, 62 percent say Biden would do a better job; 22 percent say Trump.
• On the economy, 60 percent say Biden would do a better job; 28 percent say Trump.
Latinos hold strong concerns about safety and affordability of a
COVID vaccine.
• When considering the development of a vaccine, 70 percent of Latinos are more concerned that “the
development of a vaccine will be rushed for political reasons and potentially unsafe.” Just 12 percent are more concerned that “the development of a vaccine will be too cautious and slow.”
• Latinos worry about affordability. Overwhelming majorities worry about prescription drug corporations
price gouging on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, including 51 percent who are very worried.
• Concerns around affordability extend beyond COVID-19. Seventy-one (71) percent say they are worried
about being able to afford a prescription medicine if they get really sick (49 percent are very worried).
Latino voters' distrust of a rushed vaccine has public health consequences. Fewer Latinos would get vaccinated if the FDA announced approval of a vaccine before Election Day.
• Only 12 percent say they would get a vaccine as soon as possible if the FDA announced that a vaccine were approved before Election Day, compared to 21 percent who say they would get it as soon as possible if approval were announced next year.
• Further, 29 percent say they would not get vaccinated at all if the FDA announced approval of a vaccine before Election Day, compared to 21 percent if the FDA announced approval next year.
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Lake Research Partners designed and administered this survey, which was conducted by telephone in both English and Spanish using professional interviewers via landline, cell phone, and text to online from October 5 – 13, 2020. The survey reached a total 800 registered Latinx voters nationwide with additional samples of 100 registered Latinx voters in each of four states: Arizona, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. The margin of error for the total sample is +/-3.5%, and the margin of error for the state samples are approximately +/-9.8%.
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