I’m Wendy Moffitt and I am a 40-year-old resident of Bismarck, North Dakota. I am a diabetic with both cardiovascular and pulmonary issues as well. I am disabled and can no longer work.

My prescriptions cost $7,000 per month. Some of these include Tresiba, Novolog, Jardiance, Breo Ellipta, Ventolin, Combivent, and gabapentin. I’m on over a dozen different pills a day and I was just put on four more for cyclic vomiting, a new condition I was diagnosed with. Thankfully, my doctor and I have worked hard to ensure that these medications are a good fit for me, so they are effective. 

As you can guess, the costs of these medications adds up. Although I do have Medicare, not everything is covered. I spend hundreds of dollars out of pocket each month to get my medications, and I yearn for a life in which I could worry less about my budget. I live on a fixed income, so paying for my medications really hits my pocketbook. There have even been times where I have had to ration my medication because I simply couldn’t afford it all.

I am not asking for these medications to be free –– I am just asking that the prices be more reasonable. Drug manufacturers should lower the prices of their medications so that patients like me can afford to take them as they’re prescribed.