Advocate Spotlight: Jeanene W.

Jeanene Williams, Medicare Recipient, Caregiver and Advocate Against Price-Setting Legislation

Over a decade ago, Jeanene Williams contracted pneumonia. She faced a long road of recovery due to the damage the virus had done to her lungs.

Fast forward to March of 2021, in the height of the pandemic, Jeanene started experiencing what she thought were symptoms of COVID-19. She was coughing frequently, ran a fever, and even had trouble breathing. As a senior with pre-existing conditions, and worried what could happen, Jeanene visited her local hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia once again.

Thanks to the significant improvements with treatment plans and biopharmaceutical advancements, Jeanene was able to get back on her feet quickly – she credits medical advancements for her swift recovery.

After her recovery in March, she was then eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. She received her doses and was so happy to see her family members again and hug her grandchildren.

Another important role Jeanene played was as a caregiver to her husband for several years following a diagnosis with prostate cancer. After consulting with doctors, Jeanene’s husband was enrolled in a new therapeutic clinical trial.

Even though her husband lost his battle to cancer in 2020, Jeanene knows that the insights and data the biopharmacutical researchers and scientists learned from her husband’s participation will help other patients and their families in the future.

Having been a patient and caregiver, Jeanene hopes her elected officials in Washington, DC recognize and support the important efforts biopharmaceutical companies play not only in the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic but also in developing new cures and treatments for other diseases.

Jeanene knows that support begins with policies that don’t hamper access to medicines today or in the future. Specifically, she is very concerned about new proposals that would allow the government to set the price of medicines in Medicare.

While there are many ways Medicare works well, seniors and people with disabilities are increasingly facing higher out-of-pocket costs for the medicines they need. Patients and caregivers like Jeanene know there are better ways to lower cost and to fix health care for patients like her or her husband that won’t inhibit access or innovation.

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