Trump made a recent announcement that there will be 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical products. This is, of course, for those that are being shipped from overseas, which is a lot of our medications here in America. It’s a worrisome time for anybody who relies on medication of any kind. Now, a New York man explains what exactly is happening to our medications and how it will impact all of us. This is especially true for those who are in need of constant, life-saving medication and may not be able to access it.
Nathan (@nathanjunp on TikTok) shared a TikTok titled, “Donald Trump just doubled the price of cancer medication.” He starts by talking about Lenvima, which is a drug that cancer patients use for treatment. It is an important medication because it can reduce and even stop cancer growth in some patients. Americans depend on this medication, which comes from Japan. They depend on it so much that an astounding $1.53 billion worth of their medicine was sent to the U.S. to help cancer patients.
So, why does this matter? According to Nathan, President Trump is trying to “double the cost of it.” Lenvima is imported to the U.S. from Japan. This means it would qualify for a 100% tariff. This is bad news for cancer patients who rely on it. Nathan goes on to say that Lenvima costs $15,000 a month (before insurance, of course). Medicare then covers a large portion of the drug for patients. According to Nathan, the “average Lenvima user is paying $750 a month.” With the tariffs, cancer patients would be paying $1,500 of their hard-earned money every month just for their cancer treatment. It’s a real slap in the face to cancer patients, brought by our very own President.
The other consideration to make is that Medicare would be on the hook for even more of those costs. This means that it would have a “trickle up” effect on us, costing U.S. taxpayers even more to cover these drugs. Our insurance premiums could also increase. This would be bad news for many Americans who already struggle to afford health insurance. Nathan adds here that “our health insurance is for profit.” This is so unlike many other countries and, frankly, it’s disgusting.
Another commenter added, “He also stopped Medicare negotiations on drug prices and a $2,000 max per year out of pocket. Republicans do nothing for the taxpayers. REPUBLICANS DO NOTHING FOR THE TAXPAYERS. In case you didn’t hear it the first time.” Another person shared their personal stance, “My mom’s medications were $2,000 a month. She died in August.” Paying this much for life-saving medication should be illegal. It’s truly the mark of an evil country that cares more about capitalism than its people.
