Dr. Mollyann Brodie's presentation from "What Soaring Drug Prices Mean for Patients," 9.3.15 http://www.reportingonhealth.org/content/what-soaring-drug-prices-mean-patients

1. Public’s Views On Prescription Drugs
Recent Findings From The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll
September 3, 2015
Mollyann Brodie, PhD
Senior Vice President for Executive Operations
and Executive Director Public Opinion and
Survey Research

2. Conundrums in the Public’s Views

3. NOTE: Items asked of half samples. Question wording is abbreviated. See topline for full question wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 8-14, 2015)
Partisan Differences In Top Priorities For Health Care
Percent who say each of the following should be a top health care priority for the President and Congress:
RANK TOTAL DEMOCRATS INDEPENDENTS REPUBLICANS
1 Making sure that high-cost
drugs for chronic conditions
are affordable to those who
need them
(76%)
Making sure that high-cost
drugs for chronic conditions
are affordable to those who
need them
(87%)
Making sure that high-cost
drugs for chronic conditions
are affordable to those who
need them
(72%)
Making sure that high-cost
drugs for chronic conditions
are affordable to those who
need them
(66%)
2 Government action to lower
prescription drug prices
(60%)
Requiring all states to expand
their Medicaid program
(74%)
Protecting people from
being charged high prices
when they visit hospitals
covered by their health plan
but are seen by a doctor not
covered by their plan
(62%)
Repealing the entire health
care law
(60%)
3 Protecting people from being
charged high prices when
they visit hospitals covered
by their health plan but are
seen by a doctor not covered
by their plan
(56%)
Making financial help to
purchase health insurance
available to more people
(72%)
Making sure health plans
have sufficient provider
networks (58%)
**
Making information about
the price of care more
available to patients
(58%)
Repealing the individual
mandate
(52%)

4. Kaiser Health Policy News Index: Summer 2015
40%
33%
33%
27%
18%
9%
6%
5%
4%
39%
36%
36%
30%
34%
21%
12%
12%
10%
11%
17%
17%
19%
24%
27%
21%
20%
22%
9%
13%
13%
24%
24%
43%
62%
61%
63%
Very closely Fairly closely Not too closely Not at all closely
A mass shooting at a historic Black church in Charleston, SC
The 2016 presidential campaigns
Conflicts involving ISIS in Iraq and Syria
Controversy about Planned Parenthood
Supreme Court Case about the health care law
Profits made by insurance companies
Expert panel’s recommendation for FDA to approve new
cholesterol-lowering drugs
FDA approval of expensive new cholesterol-lowering drug
Percent who report following each news story…
50%
NOTE: Don’t know/Refused responses not shown. Question and response wording abbreviated. See topline for full question wording.
SOURCE: Select Findings from Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls conducted in early June, late June, and August 2015
Controversy over expensive new drug to treat hepatitis C

5. SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
2%
23%
22%
16%
37%
Yes, take
prescription
medicine
54%
No, do not take
prescription
medicine
46%
Over Half Report Taking Prescription Drugs, Nearly 4 In 10 Of
Them Say They Take Four Or More
Do you currently take any prescription medicine or not? AMONG THE 54% WHO ARE CURRENTLY TAKING
PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE: How many different prescription
drugs do you take?
Four or more
Three
Two
One
Don’t know/Refused

6. Most Of Those Currently Taking Prescription Medicine Say
Affording Them Is Easy
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
In general, how easy or difficult is it for you to
afford to pay the cost of your prescription
medicine?
Percent who say they or a family member have
had to do each of the following because of the
cost, in the past 12 months:
Very easy
45%
Somewhat
easy
27%
Somewhat
difficult
16%
Very
difficult
8%
Don't have
to pay
(Vol.)
3%
Dk/Ref.
1%
AMONG THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY TAKING PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE:
24%
19%
Not filled a
prescription for a
medicine
Cut pills in half or
skipped doses of
medicine

7. NOTE: All equally (Vol.) and Don’t know/Refused responses not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
Financial Burden Of Health Care Costs Among Insured
17%
14%
11%
7%
3%
44%
The deductible you pay before insurance kicks in
Your health insurance premiums
Your prescription drugs
Your doctor visits
Some other health care cost
Paying for health care and health insurance is not a
financial burden
AMONG INSURED: Thinking about your own health care costs, which of the following do you find to be the greatest
financial burden?

8. NOTE: Some items asked of half sample. Don’t know/Refused responses not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
Fewer Than Half The Public Views Drug Companies Favorably
43%
18%
17%
18%
14%
12%
13%
35%
40%
41%
37%
30%
30%
27%
11%
22%
20%
21%
25%
23%
25%
7%
12%
18%
13%
26%
30%
27%
Doctors
Food manufacturers
Banks
Airlines
Health insurance companies
Pharmaceutical or drug companies
Oil companies
Very favorable Somewhat favorable Somewhat unfavorable Very unfavorable
I am going to read you a list of companies and groups. For each one please tell me if you have a favorable or an
unfavorable opinion of each.
50%

9. Do you think prescription drugs developed over the past 20 years have generally made the lives of people in the U.S.
better, worse, or haven't they made much difference? Would you say a lot, or only a little?
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
A lot better
42%
A little better
19%
A little worse
5%
A lot worse
11%
Haven't made
much difference
19%
Don't know/
Refused
4%
Most Say Prescriptions Drugs Have Made Americans’ Lives
Better

10. What’s Going On?

11. 16%
21%
14%
38%
30%
27%
1-3 Prescription drugs
4+ Prescription Drugs
Percent of those who are currently taking prescription medicine who say…
17%
19%
15%
43%
37%
31%
...it is very or somewhat
difficult for them to afford
to pay the cost of their
prescription medicine
…they or another family
member have not filled a
prescription for a medicine
in the past 12 months
…they or another family
member have cut pills in
half or skipped doses of
medicine in the past 12
months
Excellent/Very good/Good health
Fair/Poor health
Sick And High-Utilizers More Likely To Report Problems
Affording Prescription Drugs
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
Health Status Prescription Drug Use

12. Don't
know/
Refused
4%
Reasonable
24%
Unreasonable
72%
Most Say Costs Are Unreasonable And Prices Higher Than In
Other Countries
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
In general, do you think people in this country pay
higher or lower prices than people in Canada,
Mexico, and Western Europe pay for the same
prescription drug, or do you think they pay about
the same amount?
In general, do you think the cost of prescription
drugs is reasonable or unreasonable?
Pay higher
prices
74%
Dk/Ref.
7%
Pay lower
prices
6%
Pay about the
same amount
12%

13. Many Who Say Prescription Drug Costs Are Unreasonable Point
To Drug Company Prices
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted June 2-9, 2015)
Neither/
Some
other
issue (Vol.)
1%
Dk/Ref.
3%
Both (Vol.)
10%
Health insurance companies
require people to pay
too much of the
cost for drugs
10%
Pharmaceutical
companies set the drug
prices too high
76%
AMONG THOSE WHO SAY THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IS UNREASONABLE:Do you think the cost of
prescription drugs is unreasonable more because…

14. Drug Company Profits Top List Of Public’s Views Of Factors
Contributing To Drug Prices
77%
64%
54%
49%
13%
28%
34%
35%
6%
6%
9%
10%
Profits made by
pharmaceutical companies
The cost of medical research
The cost of marketing and
advertising
The cost of lawsuits against
pharmaceutical companies
Major factor Minor factor Not a factor
Next, I’m going to read you some factors that some people say contribute to the price of prescription drugs. For each, I’d
like you to tell me if this is a major factor, a minor factor, or not a factor contributing to the price of prescription drugs.
NOTE: Don’t know/Refused responses not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted June 2-9, 2015)

15. 74%
Dk/Ref.
3%
23%
The Public’s Perception Of Drug Company Profits
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
Which statement comes closer to your own view?
Pharmaceutical
companies are too
concerned about
making profits, and
not concerned enough
about helping people
The balance of
concern at
pharmaceutical
companies between
making profits and
helping people is
about right

16. What Next?

17. Percent who say they favor each of the following and percent who say they think each would be effective in keeping
prescription drug costs down:
86%
83%
76%
72%
48%
81%
72%
77%
74%
57%
Requiring drug companies to release information
to the public on how they set their drug prices
Allowing the federal government to negotiate with
drug companies to get a lower price on
medications for people on Medicare
Limiting the amount drug companies can charge
for high-cost drugs for illnesses like hepatitis or
cancer
Allowing Americans to buy prescription drugs
imported from Canada
Encouraging people to buy lower cost drugs by
requiring them to pay a higher share if they choose
a similar, higher cost drug
Percent who favor the following Percent who think the following would be effective
Views On Favorability And Effectiveness Of Actions To Keep Drug
Costs Down
NOTE: Items asked of half sample.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)

18. 83%
87%86%
90%
August 2015June 2015April 2009December 2008
Views Toward Drug Proposals Hold Steady Over Time
NOTE: Question wording varies slightly. See full toplines for full question wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls; Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health The Public’s Health Care
Agenda for the New President and Congress (conducted December 4-14, 2008)
72%
69%
August 2015December 2008
I’m going to read actions some say would help keep prescription drug costs down. Please tell me whether you would
favor or oppose each one. Would you favor or oppose…
…Allowing the federal government to negotiate with
drug companies to get a lower price on medications
for people on Medicare
…Allowing Americans to buy
prescription drugs imported from
Canada

19. Dk/Ref.
11%
Individuals
should be
required to
cover the
cost
themselves
17%
Insurance
companies
should
always pay
for it
37%
Dk/Ref.
5%
7 In 10 Say Insurance Should Always Pay For High-Cost Drugs; 6
In 10 Say Companies Should Only Pay If Proven Effective
NOTE: Question wording abbreviated. See topline for full question wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted June 2-9, 2015)
If a doctor recommends an expensive new drug to treat an illness when no lower-cost alternative exists, do you think…
Insurance
companies
should only
pay if it has
been proven
to be more
effective then
existing
treatments
58%
Health
insurance
should always
pay for it, even
if it eventually
leads to higher
premiums for
everyone
71%

20. 40%
57%
43%
19%
51%
36%
46%
76%
Regulation by the federal government Competition in the marketplace
NOTE: Both (Vol.), Neither (Vol.) and Don’t know/Refused responses not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted August 6-11, 2015)
Public Has Preference For Marketplace Competition Over
Government Regulation; Views Vary By Partisanship
Which of the following do you think would do a better job at keeping prescription drug costs down...
Republicans
By Political Party ID
Total
Independents
Democrats

21. Thank you!
mbrodie@kff.org
@mollybrodie