Patient Testimonies | March 19, 2026
My name is Maureen Patch, and my story with high-cost prescription drugs began in 2008 when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. At that time, I was a single mom with two small kids at home, and had just given birth to my third child. After a bad flare up with the disease, I ended up losing my job and healthcare. However, I was fortunate at that time that the National MS Society helped me find ways to pay for the medication.
Fast forward to today, and I have recently moved states, and the Medicaid programs I used back in South Dakota are not available in Florida, my current state of residence. Over the years I have learned how to advocate and look for different grants and programs to help pay for my MS medication that costs $10,000 a month, where my monthly copay is $1,200. But I shouldn’t have to.
Needless to say, I get so frustrated when Congress says they are going to lower prescription drug costs, because they only lower the price of a select few medications, impacting only a small quantity of people in our big broken system. If we can help people with all sorts of medication needs, including newly diagnosed MS patients, the fight will be worth it!
We need lower prescription drug prices, across the board, now!