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tal evaluation, some sort of required training ( like we already do with everything from drivers licenses to forklift operating to cutting hair to selling alcohol). It isn’t that hard. You don’t have to outlaw guns, but you do have to take steps to keep them out of the hands of dangerous people. You can’t argue with that, right? I mean, what would your argument even be? “ If keeping a mentally deranged person from getting a gun means I have to get a background check, well, that’s no good! I’d rather see another school shot up!”]

*** I was disappointed to learn about President Biden’s latest pitch to raise Medicare taxes and increase the role the U.S. government plays in setting prices for prescription drugs.

Not only could this “plan” pose a threat to the development of new potentially life-saving treatments, but it would do next to nothing to lower out-ofpocket costs for the vast majority of Americans. This is the wrong approach to take, particularly when high out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs continue to be such a problem in our country. To actually address this issue, President Biden and legislators in Congress should work to reform the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) instead. [ Editor’s Note: I will have to admit to being unfamiliar with PBMs, so I’ll defer to the more well- informed on that, but I can share a little story about how ridiculous the American health care system has become. For nearly two years now, I have been getting treatment for a bone spur and swollen disc in my neck. My doctor recently prescribed for me a new medicine called Seglentis. It’s a combination anti- inflammatory and pain relief medication. Since it’s new, my insurance did not have it on their list of approved medications, so when the pharmacist informed me of this, I offered to just pay the full cost, figuring it would be maybe $ 50 or $ 60 instead of my basic $ 10 co- pay. Nope, full price: $ 675.

So, yeah… I called my doctor’s office and they were able to send in some kind of code to get it down to $ 25, so I did get my medication. But… everything in that story is just so messed up. There are people who can not get the medicine they need because of how expensive it is, how the pharmacy companies exploit the insurcance companies and how ridiculous it all is. It is way past time for universal health care in this country but in the meantime people will suffer]