U.S. Senator Jon Tester visited seniors and local health care providers at the Ravalli County Council on Aging in Hamilton and spoke about the cost savings he achieved for Montanans on life-saving prescription drugs.

Tester said the cost of 10 life-saving prescription drugs will officially be reduced as a result of the first price negotiations authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act. It is estimated that nearly 25,000 Montana seniors on Medicare will see cost savings thanks to Tester’s law, and Medicare beneficiaries across the country are expected to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs when the new prices take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Tester was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Montana residents should never have to choose between paying for their life-saving prescription drugs and putting food on the table – that should never be the case,” Tester said. “After hearing from Montana residents about the astronomical cost of prescription drugs, I took a direct stand against the pharmaceutical industry and passed legislation to stop them from driving up prices for Montana’s seniors. These cost savings for Montana’s seniors and taxpayers are a no-brainer and I’m proud to have cast my vote to make it happen.”

Tester was joined by Cathy Orr, executive director of the Ravalli County Council on Aging, Yvonne and Jeff Gritzner, seniors from Bitterroot, and Dr. Kathleen Harder-Brouwer, owner and physician at Ravalli Family Medicine.

“Thank you for being here with us today, Senator Tester… we appreciate your efforts to help seniors in Ravalli County with their medication costs,” said Cathy Orr, executive director of the Ravalli County Council on Aging. “Costs are going up and people can’t afford their homes anymore, so any help they can get, especially with prescription drug prices, is a big help because it helps keep the money spent on groceries and other things… About a third of our folks here in Ravalli County are seniors age 60 and older, and some of those are veterans as well, and we just want to thank you for your work with our programs and for supporting senior services in Montana.”

“Jeff is a heart patient and was prescribed Jardiance earlier this year,” said senior Yvonne Gritzner, who was accompanied by her husband, Jeff. “I wanted to ask the doctor if we could get off it because of the cost. Not only does it cost us $140, but the total price of the medication is $1,500… So we’re looking forward to 2026 when the price goes down.”

“I am a physician in a provider practice and operate an independent rural health clinic,” said Dr. Kathleen Harder-Brouwer. “We serve all the citizens of Ravalli County and have a very large Medicare population, so we see firsthand the impact that high drug costs have on the health and well-being of our patients. Senator Tester’s support of the provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices will have a direct positive impact on the health of Montanans.”

Tester supported provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that allow Medicare for the first time to negotiate the price of prescription drugs covered by health insurance. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is required to negotiate prices with drug manufacturers for 10 qualified drugs for 2026, 15 drugs each for 2027 and 2028, and 20 drugs for 2029 and each subsequent year.

Tester’s Act gave Medicare the authority to negotiate high drug prices on behalf of patients for the following 10 drugs. Below is a breakdown of the cost savings:

1. Eliquis – an anticoagulant used to treat and prevent blood clots and to prevent strokes.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $521

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $231

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 56%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 10,246

2. Jardiance – used to improve glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $573

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $197

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 66%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 3,175

3. Xarelto – used to treat and prevent blood clots. May reduce the risk of stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) and similar conditions.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $517

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $197

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 62%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 4,486

4. Januvia – used as a prescription tablet once daily, helps lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $527

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $113

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 79%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 1,928

5. Farxiga – used to treat type 2 diabetes. Also used to treat adults with heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $556

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $178.50

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 68%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 991

6. Entresto – a fixed-dose combination medicine for the treatment of heart failure.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $628

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $295

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 53%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 858

7. Enbrel – a biological medicine used to treat autoimmune diseases.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $7,106

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $2,355

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 67%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 197

8. Imbruvica – used to treat certain types of cancer (such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small cell lymphocytic lymphoma, Waldenström’s disease).

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $14,934

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: USD 9,319

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 38%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 83

9. Stelara – for the treatment of adults aged 18 years and over with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $13,836

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $4,695

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 66%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 62

10. Fiasp; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFill – Insulin.

· List price for 30-day supply, calendar year 2023: $495

· NEW Negotiated maximum price for 30-day supply for calendar year 2026: $119

· Percentage savings compared to the new price: 76%

· Estimated number of Medicare beneficiaries in Montana using the drug: 2,759

The Inflation Reduction Act requires Medicare to negotiate drug prices, caps prescription drug deductibles for Medicare patients at $2,000/year, caps insulin costs for Medicare patients at $35/month, and expands Affordable Care Act provisions to prevent price increases for thousands of Montana residents. The law was signed into law in August 2022 and will be funded entirely by holding corporations and billionaires accountable, according to Tester.