News and Reports | October 3, 2025
Sarah Wisniewski, a Maryland resident in her mid-40s, has been living with multiple sclerosis since 2018. Although she she says she has good insurance, it has repeatedly failed to cover the specialty medication her doctor prescribed to slow the progression of her disease. In 2024, when her physician recommended a treatment that could help, she says her insurance company denied coverage three times. She was only approved after the Maryland attorney general intervened.
When CBS News asked Makarty about Wisniewski, he explained, “I’ve seen that story throughout my career as a cancer surgeon, and it’s tragic, and we’ve seen nothing on drug prices for the last 50 years.”
More than 90% of Americans have some form of health insurance, yet many still struggle to afford critical medications. Wisniewski told CBS News she is skeptical about the new TrumpRx program.
“If big pharma isn’t required to put their drugs on this market, and if they’re not forced to lower prices, then this feels like a toothless, symbolic statement, as opposed to having any real, long-term impact on the lives of the clinically ill,” she said.