Didi Okpareke

“1. Transparency is key – The costs of healthcare products and services should no longer be hidden from the American people. When costs are transparent, the consumer is empowered to price-compare for the products and services they need, creating an open, free market. Competition between suppliers becomes a natural response to consumer price-comparing, which will cause the costs of products and services to reduce and become affordable.

2. Independent doctors and clinics – Healthcare has become a system of massive conglomerates and monopolies, and smaller independent practices have been unable to compete or survive against them. Moreover, there are too many regulations that make it difficult for independent practices to open and stay in business. Corporate monopolies should be discouraged, and honest competition in the market should be supported by encouraging more independent practices to provide products and services at affordable prices.

3. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) – These entities have destroyed independent pharmacies in New Mexico and across the nation. They are responsible for excessively high prescription drug costs for the consumer and low reimbursements for independent pharmacies. Many independent pharmacies in New Mexico are no longer in business because of the negative impact of PBMs, which has drastically decreased access to healthcare in New Mexico, especially in our rural communities. I will create and support bi-partisan reforms such as the PBM Reform Act of 2025, which aim to reduce the excessive mark-up on specialty prescriptions drugs, prevent market consolidation and vertical integration of large healthcare entities, reduce the out-of-pocket costs for consumers, and prevent the reimbursement to pharmacies from being lower than what it cost to dispense life-changing medications to patients.

4. Empowering patients – I believe that patients should be empowered to form aligned relationships with their healthcare providers to best suit their healthcare needs. One of my goals is to dismantle the power of insurance companies to dictate which provider a patient can see, when they can be seen, and what service(s) they can or cannot receive. A free market will allow patients to determine from which providers they receive care, the affordability of said care, and how they optimize their health and wellness. When the consumer is empowered to make affordable decisions that have a net positive impact on their health, the cost of healthcare will reduce and become less burdensome on our system and economy.”

Statement submitted by campaign or congressional office