Down here in Louisiana, we’ve got enough financial worries, especially after four years of Biden-induced inflation. Yet, Louisianians also have to worry about prescription drug prices. Whether you’re in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, or Shreveport, folks know the feeling of showing up at the pharmacy, and even with insurance, the price makes your heart race.

Americans pay the highest drug prices in the world. That’s why many of us took notice when President Donald Trump issued an executive order last month directing his administration to deliver on his promise to lower drug prices. Directing various agencies to implement a “Most Favored Nation” pricing policy, so Americans pay what other wealthy nations pay for the same drugs. With U.S. medications reaching eight times the prices abroad, this policy is common sense. But executive action can only go so far.

To meaningfully lower prices, Congress must act fast and finish the job. Luckily, STAT News recently reported that Senator Bill Cassidy is working on a bill to execute Trump’s MFN reforms. It’s exactly the kind of conservative action that Louisiana families need, but there’s so much more Senator Cassidy can do. He’s a doctor, and he knows what it’s like to sit across from a patient who can’t afford their medication. Now, he’s in a position to lead.

One place Senator Cassidy can look is another Trump-endorsed policy: Medicare drug price negotiation. Thanks to a 2022 law, Medicare is finally allowed to negotiate lower prices for some of the most expensive drugs on the market. That first round of negotiations is expected to save 9 million Americans $1.5 billion and slash Medicare spending by $6 billion by 2026. That’s big news for Louisiana, where nearly one in five folks rely on Medicare, and even struggle to afford their medications with Medicare.

Of course, Big Pharma is throwing everything it can in court to block these reforms. They want to keep prices high, even if that means more seniors splitting pills and more working families skipping doses of drugs they need. But the Trump Administration is thankfully defending Medicare price negotiations in court, and the American people are overwhelmingly behind it.

We’ve seen how effectively these drug pricing reforms can work if done right. Now, Senator Cassidy has a chance at a one-two punch: expanding Medicare drug price negotiations and codifying MFN policy. One helps Medicare bargain for better prices, and the other makes sure the U.S. is getting the same prices as folks abroad. It’s common sense.

Cassidy’s taken the first step, but Louisianans don’t want half-measures. We’re not looking for headlines – we’re looking for results. That means real relief at the pharmacy counter, and real action against the companies that have been ripping us off for decades.

So let’s see it through. Support Medicare negotiation. Pass Most Favored Nation legislation. Stand with President Trump in finally bringing some accountability to Big Pharma.

Senator Cassidy says he wants to fix what’s broken in American healthcare, and there’s no better place to start than with the price of medicine. Louisianans are ready. Is he?