The nonpartisan patient advocacy group, Survivors for Solutions, started by John “CZ” Czwartacki, a patient who has managed his MS for 30 years, provided a patient perspective on CMS’s drug price negotiation program talks this fall.

The nonpartisan patient advocacy group, Survivors for Solutions, started by John “CZ” Czwartacki, a patient who has managed his MS for 30 years, provided a patient perspective on CMS’s new coverage plan for Alzheimer’s drugs:

Minnesota is considering instituting an ill-conceived Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) over its state health care system, and the recent news of a state lawsuit against CVS brings more cause for concern.

Do you know that nightmare where you see someone about to get hurt or worse, but they don’t see the obvious danger? And your anguished pleas go unheard?

You wake from this frustrating helplessness, relieved it was just a dream.

Except, right now, I’m not waking up.

On April 11, Survivors For Solutions submitted a comment in the Federal Register criticizing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) implementation guidance for the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) drug price negotiation program. This program would negatively impact medical innovation efforts and monumentally affect the patients with various illnesses and diseases downstream.

Our founder and Chairman, John “CZ” Czwartacki, sat down with Joe Grogan, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council during the Trump administration, and Eric Ueland, former Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, to share his health journey, the importance of having multiple treatments, and the genesis of Survivors for Solutions.

The Biden administration has issued guidance on how it will implement the Medicare drug price controls in the Inflation Reduction Act. The controls will be far-reaching and much worse for the health of the country than critics had anticipated.

Today, we stand on the cusp of mind-boggling achievements in life sciences. Research into improving the lives of current and future survivors has long been in Minnesota’s DNA: Where else would you find the birthplace of Metronic and its life-saving technologies and, of course, the global powerhouse in health, Mayo Clinic?

As a beneficiary of the robust miracle-making of American research and development, it always hits hard to see fellow survivors dismiss these gifts. Instead of championing breakthroughs, they embrace Rube Goldberg-style barriers to innovation. Breathlessly cursing the darkness and looking for more problems, instead of lighting a candle and finding common sense solutions.