We can lower the cost of medication in Montana. Here's how.

by Matt Rosendale, Dr. Al Olszewski, Kristin Hansen

Everyone agrees that the high cost of prescription medications is a huge issue, but there hasn’t been a serious attempt to solve the problem in Montana. We’re changing that by bringing forward legislation we estimate will save Montanans about $8 million in the first year alone.

Allow us to explain. Prescriptions make up about 20 percent of health care costs, and they’re one of the fastest-growing cost drivers in health care. While there are many reasons for this, a primary one is the middlemen who control the process between the manufacturer...