Why stop there?

That thought kept recurring while reading Friday’s Capitol News Illinois story headlined “Legislators, activists continue push for prescription drug affordability board; The board could set maximum prices for certain prescription drugs, but faces industry resistance.”

It’s no surprise the industry resists regulations and potential price controls. Pretty much anyone engaged in private business pushes back when government starts messing with pricing structure, directly or otherwise. (See also from CNI: Illinois soybean farmers welcome federal aid, but fear long-term trade damage; Farmers, many of whom voted for Trump, say they’d prefer stable trade over a government check.)

But specific to medication, consider this quote from a Feb. 17 Statehouse rally:

“Prescription drugs only work if people can actually afford them,” said Anusha Thotakura, executive director of Citizen Action/Illinois. “That’s what we need our legislators to do, to make sure that we expand access to high-quality and affordable health care and make sure we can afford our prescription medication.”

Another speaker was state Sen. Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago.

“What I am led by is community members that are saying, right now, I’m making a choice between my prescription drugs and my rent. I’m making a choice between my insulin and food today. Our communities are making incredibly tough decisions. That’s not what industry is doing.”

I wouldn’t argue that prescription drugs are affordable. First, there’s the context of earlier thoughts about the subjective nature of the “affordability” buzzword. Are groceries affordable? Rent? But even as someone who thankfully doesn’t have to choose whether to stop at Walgreens or Jewel, I’ve definitely experienced sticker shock at the pharmacy counter and have occasionally seen fellow shoppers walk away empty-handed after hearing a total cost, at least until they can get in touch with their insurer.

But medication is only one piece of the health care puzzle. There are people who choose between an X-ray and new shoes for the kids. Or those who go to work sick because they can’t make ends meet without every last hour on the time card.

To spend any regular time on social media these days is a virtual guarantee of encountering a crowdfunding effort to find money to help people with unexpected or unattainable expenses, quite often rooted in medical needs, a big reason why GoFundMe campaigns generated $30 billion from 2010 through 2023. (That’s a private, for-profit company, of course.)

Whether Illinois lawmakers can follow through with plans to create a Health Care Availability and Access Board remains a long shot, but even reaching that goal would address only one portion of the myriad ways in which our desire to remain healthy is inextricable from the modern economy, both in our state and especially nationwide.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.