Opinion | Minnesota can’t let Big Pharma hike prices unchecked

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Everyone deserves access to affordable medicine — no exceptions. And yet in the U.S. and right here in Minnesota, Big Pharma is legally allowed to price-gouge patients for profit. No other developed country allows it. We all know someone who is skipping doses, going without or living in debt just to get the medicine they need to stay alive.

For me, this fight is deeply personal. Both of my parents passed away from heart-related complications, and losing them changed the way I view health forever. It taught me to be more proactive and to never take my health for granted, ever.

A few years ago, my own warning signs appeared. My ejection fraction was elevated, and both my cholesterol and blood pressure were climbing despite the medications I was taking. That’s when my doctors prescribed Wegovy, a GLP-1 medication that supports heart health and weight loss. Within a year, I went from 200 pounds to 140 pounds, and my cholesterol normalized. I eat healthier than ever, have more energy, take fewer medications, have fewer doctor visits and have a stronger, healthier body.

My insurance coverage has forced me to scramble just to stay on treatment. I still pay $580 out of pocket every three months. It shouldn’t be this way. When insurance companies and drug corporations decide who gets to stay healthy, people suffer. They’re not doctors, yet they’re making life-or-death decisions based on profit margins.

I’m also a nurse and leader with my union, so I hear every day from my co-workers and patients who also are facing these challenges. This problem stretches beyond partisan divides, income and ZIP code. It’s something that could affect us all.

That’s why Minnesota’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) matters. PDAB is one tool we have to stop price gouging and make drug costs more affordable. By setting upper payment limits on the cost of certain drugs, PDAB can help lower insurance premiums and ensure that patients actually receive the prescriptions that their doctors prescribe.

Other states like Maryland have already declared two lifesaving diabetes medicines, Farxiga and Jardiance, unaffordable and are moving forward with setting limits. Colorado is doing the same with Enbrel, a widely used arthritis medication. And Medicare, through its ability to negotiate the “maximum fair price” of 10 essential drugs, will save an estimated $1.5 billion in personal out-of-pocket costs starting in January of 2026.

By setting upper payment limits, similar to those implemented in Maryland and Colorado, we ensure that prices are capped and that Big Pharma can’t hike prices unchecked, which helps us build a fairer system where people’s health and lives take priority over corporate profits.

All this is going to become increasingly necessary as we fight to meet the moment; costs are rising across the board, including food, rent, mortgages and health insurance. For too many families, it feels like there’s no relief in sight. Over 89,000 Minnesotans who rely on MNsure may see their premiums spike by 50% in 2026. That’s an extra $177 a month, every month. For most households, that’s impossible. In the Stillwater school district, $1.2 million of last year’s insurance premium increase was due to a cost rise in GLP-1s. These are life-saving drugs, but pharmaceutical corporations should not be allowed to break our banks by price gouging just so their execs can get paid like kings.

We need to use every available tool to keep health care affordable, and the PDAB is one of the most powerful. Minnesota has consistently led the way in expanding health care access. PDAB is our chance to lead again, standing up to Big Pharma and ensuring that Minnesotans never have to choose between their health and their livelihood.