Health Care & Prescription Drugs

Current Campaigns

Making Health Care Work

At noon, March 22nd, 2010, President Barack Obama brought a hundred year struggle for affordable health care to a close when he signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law.

The Senate must still take up a final set of fixes to this legislation this week, and then the state and federal government must begin the long, hard work of implementation. But right now, this historic health reform legislation is the law of the land. Read more.

Campaign For Safe Drugs

Pharmaceutical companies make the medicines that enable us to live healthier, longer lives. But their business practices also drive up drug prices and increase the risk of harmful side effects, and their strong-armed lobbying has blocked needed reforms. Read more.

Hospital Safety

Thousands of Americans every year succumb to infections at hospitals that result in serious illness or death. We’re working to make hospitals come clean starting with requiring them to disclose their infection rates. Read more.

Overview

In a country with a world-renowned medical reputation, we expect drug companies to rigorously test and truthfully market their drugs. We expect that Americans have the means to treat illnesses, and hospitals will put our health and safety over all other concerns.

But prescription drug prices are soaring, the Vioxx tragedy demonstrates that drugs are not always safe, and infections at hospitals kill too many patients. Health insurance plans too often fail to provide the coverage or treatments we need.

Too often, it is powerful special interests that are keeping our country from fulfilling our expectations of health and safety. U.S. PIRG works to counter their influence and protect the health of all Americans.

The price of prescription drugs is too high. The problem is worst for the 46 million uninsured Americans, who must either pay full price or go without needed medications. NJPIRG is working to make prescription drugs affordable for all.