RICHMOND, Va. -- Savannah Morris was only 15 years old when she received a life-changing diagnosis.
"I was in the middle of high school, it was the spring of my sophomore year," she reflected.
That's when she found out she had Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. She's had several surgeries in the 10 years since her diagnosis, and now, she must wear an ostomy pouch every single day.
She said she pays roughly $150-200 about every two weeks, out of pocket, for new pouches.
Though she'll stay on her parents' insurance, she worries about how she'll afford the pouches, as well as medications and other medical expenses, when she's not.
"It's daunting, very daunting," she said. "It's a necessary purchase, but that doesn't make it easier."
Morris said she's even opted to not take certain medications to save money.
Avoiding paying the price for medication, in turn, makes her body pay the price.
"I experience inflammation over my body. I experience symptoms that leave me in bed for days. I miss work. I miss school," Morris said.
On Wednesday, she joined lawmakers and advocates who are now pushing Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign legislation creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB).
It would establish a group of experts that would use data to review the affordability of different prescription drugs sold in the Commonwealth, with the goal of protecting citizens from high prescription drug costs.
Lawmakers say making sure keeping drug costs low would help ultimately curb the total cost of living for Virginians.
"We hear it every day from our constituents, thousands of emails and phone calls, of people trying to make ends meet," said Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling.
According to an AARP poll, roughly three-quarters of Virginians support a PDAB, due to rising drug costs.
"Since 2020, Virginia's spending on prescription drugs have skyrocketed by 58%," said State Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg.
Bills creating a PDAB passed in both the House and Senate, garnering bipartisan support.
At Wednesday's press conference, lawmakers and advocates fielded questions about how drug companies may respond.
"It's not a concern for us if a drug manufacturer chose to pull something off the market," said Rhan Hicks with Freedom Virginia. "They are choosing to pull that off the market."
CBS 6 asked Youngkin if he planned on signing legislation by the Monday, April 8 deadline.
“I review every single bill. I’m deep into the various arguments for and against, and I want to make sure I have a thorough understanding of each bill. That is one that’s in our stack that we are finishing up this week, and I’ll be ready to talk about it on Monday," Youngkin said.
Morris said she wants Youngkin to remember her and other Virginians choosing to not take life-saving medication in order to save money when he makes his final decision.
"It's not just a numbers game," Morris said. "These are real life people."
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