The Dialogue: What Readers Think About the Inflated Cost of Insulin For Oregonians

"Why do we allow insurance and pharmaceutical companies to profit from an 8-year-old girl’s sickness?"

People with diabetes often inject insulin multiple times a day. (Sam Gehrke)
By WW Staff

Insulin Prices Stick Oregonians

"Taxing the Sick" [WW, Nov. 14, 2018] helps to shine a light on the heartbreaking choices faced by people with diabetes in Oregon. The story of inflated drug prices and profit-hungry insurance companies is all too familiar to Americans who struggle to pay for lifesaving medication. We at Portland Democratic Socialists of America's Medicare for All Campaign believe the only way to fix this unjust health insurance system is to make health care a fundamental right for all Americans.

While your article highlights a dark corner of the health care supply chain, focusing on this one problem alone will do little to avert the larger crisis of drug-price inflation, which is driven by profiteering pharmaceutical companies. The article rightly points out that "many other countries' drug prices are significantly lower than the U.S.'s, because they have single-payer systems that grant them greater bargaining power." We honestly could not have said it better ourselves.

Riley Brann | Co-Chair, Portland DSA's Medicare for All Campaign

The article infuriates me. Why do we allow insurance and pharmaceutical companies to profit from an 8-year-old girl's sickness? What do Oregon Health Plan members pay for insulin? I bet they pay a lot less than the family mentioned in the article does. I say, "OHP for all Oregonians!" Call your state legislators!

Kara Colley | Southwest Portland

Second Opinions on Chief Outlaw

I'm writing in support of last week's cover caricature of Chief Outlaw ["Outlaw," WW, Nov. 7, 2018]. It's not "abhorrent, sexist, or racist, it's simply an artist's rendition of a local public figure. Your past caricature of Vera Katz was far edgier than this tame version of Chief Outlaw.

Here's the problem in a nutshell. All these coddled millennials who can't take a joke also can't grasp what a "caricature" is in the art world. Some renditions are over the top while others fall into a harmless category, as this particular one does. I thought it was a fair illustration.

Marvin Thiessen

Regarding the complaints about your cover of Danielle Outlaw, I disagree. I think she looks smart, tough, bold, and confident. So what if it's a cartoon? I don't think it was petty or nasty. You have nothing to apologize for, and no one to apologize to. There are too many knee-jerk lefties in this country who think it's their job to go through life being offended. The letters of complaint you printed were full of self-righteous, irrelevant, overheated rhetoric of the kind I am tired of hearing. Portland is a great city full of compassionate people. Some people need to stop complaining about problems where there are none.

Daniel McMasters | Northeast Portland

Correction

WW's 2018-19 Guide to Food & Drink misidentified the chef at Renata. He is Chris Frazier. WW regrets the error.

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