My name is Jill Hughes, and I am from Nashua, New Hampshire. I deal with a number of medical conditions, including diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. My doctor has done his best to treat me with a well-rounded approach that includes a host of medications.

Some of the meds I’m on include labetalol, clonidine, atorvastatin, metformin, venlafaxine, omeprazole, and valsartan. I take mostly generics because I’m not able to afford brand-name drugs under my current insurance. I’m grateful that my costs are a bit lower now, but when I have been in an insurance gap, my medicines have cost me hundreds of dollars each month.

I am only 64 years old now and I worry for my future. I lost my job this past June and my life was thrown into flux. I was afraid I would lose my home and I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford my medications without insurance. I had to get resourceful in order to buy my medications, cutting into my food budget or asking for help from loved ones. 

I now have insurance, but even with insurance my medications are very expensive. In order to be able to afford them, I use GoodRx, online savings apps, and AARP’s discount program. Because of this, my copays range from $7 to $30. That may not seem like a ton, but it all adds up and greatly affects my budget. Patients shouldn’t have to cobble together assistance from three different sources to afford the drugs we need.

I hope that drug costs can be lowered for all people, as medications are something that we need in order to survive. I know I have many neighbors who are enduring this same hardship, and so I am raising my voice to speak up for those who can’t.