By Meg McCormick

Letter to the Editor, Daily Independent

Mesa, Arizona

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Arizona with 13,000 Arizonans dying from heart disease and stroke each year.

I thought I would be part of this statistic, but thankfully I am able to share my story. I have suffered from sudden cardiac death (SCD), three heart attacks and anoxia caused from 56 minutes of cardiovascular failure resuscitation.

I now advocate for myself, those with similar stories, and those who may be impacted in the future - which is increasingly difficult in our health care system. As a retired health assistant within Arizona’s public school system and a facilitator of Women’s Heart support groups, I know the importance of ensuring timely access to innovative and affordable medications and treatments.

Our elected officials are key in solving access and affordability issues. At the root of the problem are pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs - third-party middlemen who control what patients have access to, when they can receive them and ultimately even how much they pay for them.

Join me to urge our elected officials to pass meaningful PBM reform so patients can affordably access timely life-saving care.