State and District-Level Support For Lowering Prescription Drug Prices in the Build Back Better Budget
Using the map below, check out just how popular drug pricing reform is in states and districts across the country.
Americans pay more than three-times what patients pay for the same brand name drugs in other wealthy nations. In August 2021, Data for Progress conducted a survey to assess the attitudes of likely voters regarding an agenda that lowers the price of prescription drugs — a cornerstone of the Build Back Better Budget. The survey was then modeled using multilevel regression to estimate results for each of the 50 states and all 435 congressional districts.
Voters across the country overwhelmingly support reforms to the drug industry that lower prices for patients. Voters think current costs are unreasonable and want Congress to do more to rein in prices. It is clear that voters want to give Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices so that Americans have access to life-saving medication — a key element of the Build Back Better budget.
If you want to learn about the support for this agenda in each district and state — both Red states and Blue States — take a look at the map below.
Methodology
To provide estimates of opinion at the congressional district and state level, a machine learning model was trained on nationally representative survey responses linked to a commercial voter file. The model accounts for individual demographic characteristics, vote history, and primary participation as well as a number of political and demographic characteristics of the respondents’ census tract. Once trained on our survey data, the model is used to estimate opinion in the population of registered voters. The process used is known as MRP (or Multilevel regression with poststratification).
Support is displayed in terms of two-way support, excluding individuals who said they didn’t have an opinion. Since MRP is a support estimation technique, the margin of error, or measure of uncertainty, will be roughly double that of a traditional polling instrument. The model remains informative, especially when comparing values, but it is important to be aware of its additional uncertainty.
Survey Questions
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of prescription drug companies?
Favorable
Unfavorable
Don’t know
In general, do you think that the costs of prescription drugs are reasonable or are unreasonable?
Reasonable
Unreasonable
Don’t know
Some lawmakers in Congress are proposing giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies to lower the price of prescription drugs for all Americans.
When thinking about this proposal, which statement comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right?
We should allow Medicare to negotiate to lower the prices of prescription drugs
We should not allow Medicare to negotiate to lower the prices of prescription drugs
Don’t know
When thinking about prescription drug prices, which statement comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right?
Medicare should be allowed to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs for patients, because life-saving medications only work if patients can afford them. Pharmaceutical companies are making huge pro:ts and will still be able to invest in finding new treatments
If Medicare is allowed to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, it will undercut the drug companies' ability to invest in innovation and the research and development we need to create new life-saving medications. In the long run, this will only hurt patients
Don’t know
When thinking about prescription drugs, what are you more concerned about, even if neither statement is exactly right?
I am more concerned that Congress will go too far in regulating the price of prescription drugs
I am more concerned that Congress won't do enough to rein in the cost of prescription drugs
Don’t know
When thinking about the cost of prescription drugs, which statement comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right?
The cost of prescription drugs in the United States should be more in line with other countries. It's not right that Americans pay more than three times what people in other wealthy nations pay for the same brand name drugs. We need fairer prices for our prescription drugs
We shouldn't try to match the prices of prescription drugs in other countries. Prescription drugs cost more in the U.S. because this country leads the world in developing new life-saving medications. Americans aren't overpaying, the rest of the world is underpaying
Don’t know