June 2023

Washington, DC — Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released revised guidance laying out the rules of the road for selecting and negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs, delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic accomplishment of finally allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. This comes as the pharmaceutical industry is filing multiple lawsuits in an attempt to halt the program and protect its profits. Read Protect Our Care’s new report “Why Medicare Needs the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Costs: Outrageous Prices, Greed, and Patent Exploitation” here. 

In response, Protect Our Care Director of Policy Programs Andrea Harris issued the following statement:

“Today the Biden administration took a major step forward in lowering health care costs for millions of seniors by taking on Big Pharma and finalizing the process for Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. The revised guidance further demonstrates the administration’s commitment to a transparent and fair negotiation program that will engage the public and manufacturers, support the development of innovative drugs, and ensure lower prices reflect the drug’s benefit to patients.

“Americans are suffering from Big Pharma’s greed while they pay up to four times more for the same drugs as people in other countries. Thanks to Democrats in Congress and President Biden, the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program will finally end the era of pharmaceutical companies’ unchecked power.” 

Background:

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, seniors are already saving money as a result of the law’s $35 monthly insulin copay cap and no-cost vaccinations. Now, the Biden administration is taking the first step to implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare negotiation provision to drive down prices of some of the most popular and expensive drugs on the market. This progress is particularly important for seniors of color and people with disabilities, who experience health disparities in part because they are more likely to have limited access to affordable drugs. Seniors who are more likely to live in rural areas and LGBTQI+ seniors who experience greater levels of poverty and worse health outcomes will also benefit from this law.

Pharma is Fear-Mongering by Claiming Medicare Negotiation Harms Innovation

Pharmaceutical companies and their Republican allies are relying on decades-old arguments that any attempt to regulate prices will harm the innovation of new drugs. These claims are blatantly false. Big Pharma is simply trying to preserve the status quo where Americans pay up to four times more for prescription drugs than people in other countries while they continue to rake in outsized profits. 

Read more: FACT SHEET: Big Drug Companies Have Been Ripping Us Off For Years And Now Are Trying To Protect Their Profits With Scare Tactics, Lobbyists, And Lies

Watch the Event Here. 

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care announced the release of a new report on five drugs that may be selected for the initial round of negotiations through the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program during a press call headlined by U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT). Tahir Amin, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge, Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance for Retired Americans, and Andrea Harris, Director of Policy Programs of Protect Our Care also joined the call to discuss the importance of giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices. 

Big drug companies are now turning to the courts to try to dismantle the Negotiation Program because they didn’t get their way after spending a record $372 million lobbying Congress in 2022. Drug company giants Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb, as well as mega lobbying groups, PhRMA, and the US Chamber of Commerce, have sued the federal government in an effort to stop Medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices and giving seniors the breathing room they need. Republican lawmakers have also introduced legislation to repeal the prescription drug provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act in order to line the pockets of drug company executives and raise costs on patients.

“The pricing power of Pharma has been abused, absolutely, from beginning to end,” said U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT). “This question about prescription drugs is really about affordability: things that people need every day, they can’t afford. The price negotiation legislation that President Biden signed is finally going to give a tool to Medicare to do what every other government agency does – stand up for fair prices for prescription drugs. Folks need to be able to afford prescription medications. And we’re not going to let Pharma sue their way out of this achievement that has been long overdue.”

“Prescription drug spending has tripled since 2000 to nearly $400 billion today, and is poised to expand further 50 percent within the next 10 years,” said Tahir Amin, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Initiative for Medicines. “This increase is fueled mostly by branded drugs which make up just eight percent of prescriptions but account for 84 percent of all drug spending in the United States. We cannot continue to pay these prices, and that’s why the Inflation Reduction Act and the provisions that will curb some of these excesses that the drug companies have been able to develop through patenting games is so important.”

“Our members know when a law truly changes people’s lives,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “And President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act does that in a number of ways. Because the law penalizes corporations that increase the price of a drug faster than inflation, Americans who take 43 prescription drugs will save between $1 and $499 per average dose. That’s real results.”

“For far too long, big drug companies have exploited their market power, making drugs unaffordable for seniors and costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars,” said Andrea Harris, Director of Policy Programs of Protect Our Care. “Protect Our Care’s new report shines a light on why the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is so desperately needed to fix this broken system.”

“While the Biden administration is working tirelessly to implement Medicare negotiation and deliver savings to seniors, pharmaceutical companies and their Republican allies are doing everything in their power to protect their outrageous profits,” said ​​Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care. “Republicans are trying to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, and major pharmaceutical companies are in court trying to take away Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prices. Fortunately, we have a president who will ensure everyone can afford the medicines they need.”

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 29 AT 12:30 PM ET***

Protect Our Care to Release New Report Outlining Key Facts on Prescription Drugs Likely to See Lower Prices Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, June 29, 2023, at 12:30 PM ET, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) will join Protect Our Care for a press conference to discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s next steps in implementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The administration has stated publicly that they will release final guidance outlining the process for negotiation and selection by early July. During the call, Protect Our Care will release a new report that provides a detailed look at five drugs that will likely qualify for the first round of negotiation, underscoring the importance of finally allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.

Seniors are already saving money as a result of the law’s insulin copay cap and no-cost recommended vaccinations. Prescription drug affordability measures are particularly important for seniors of color and people with disabilities, who experience health disparities in part because they are more likely to have limited access to affordable drugs. Seniors who are more likely to live in rural areas and LGBTQI+ seniors who experience greater levels of poverty and worse health outcomes will also benefit from this law.

This call comes as Republicans and big drug companies are attacking the Inflation Reduction Act in Congress and the courts. Pharmaceutical giants Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb, as well as the industry’s trade association PhRMA, are laser-focused on undermining the Inflation Reduction Act by filing lawsuits to protect their profits and stop the administration from negotiating lower drug prices. Big Pharma’s GOP allies in Congress have already introduced legislation to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions, which would increase drug costs for millions of seniors. 

PRESS CALL:

WHO:
U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT)
Robert Roach, Jr., President, Alliance for Retired Americans
Tahir Amin, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK)
Andrea Harris, Director of Policy Programs, Protect Our Care
Leslie Dach, Chair, Protect Our Care

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHERE: Register for the Event Here.

WHEN: Thursday, June 29 at 12:30 PM ET

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28 AT 2 PM ET***

Inflation Reduction Act Caps Insulin Costs, Expands Access to Life-Saving Vaccines, and Delivers Lower Prescription Drug Prices for Seniors

Lansing, MI — On Wednesday, June 28, at 2 PM ET, Dr. Meena Seshamani, the Deputy Administrator & Director, Center for Medicare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will join Protect Our Care Michigan and Michigan health care advocates to highlight how seniors in Michigan and across the country are saving on insulin costs, prescription drugs, and life-saving vaccines thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Inflation Reduction Act is lowering costs and improving health care for millions of Americans, with many critical provisions that provide savings for Medicare beneficiaries. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, insulin copays are capped at $35 per month for more than 3 million diabetics covered by Medicare, including tens of thousands of Michiganders. Additionally, all adults on Medicare Part D have access to covered vaccines, such as shingles and Tdap, at no cost. These policies alone will save seniors in Michigan and across the country hundreds of dollars on their health care costs, keep millions of people healthy, and prevent dangerous complications associated with diabetes, shingles, and other serious diseases.

Speakers will discuss how these provisions are keeping costs low for Michiganders, discuss additional savings to come, and highlight how seniors in the state can access these benefits. The event comes as the Biden administration works to implement the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. By early July, final guidance will be released laying out the rules of the road for how Medicare will select and negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs. The list of the first ten drugs selected for negotiation will be announced by Sept. 1, 2023. With Medicare negotiation for prescription drug prices, the era of Big Pharma being in the driver’s seat is coming to an end.

PRESS CALL:

WHO:
Dr. Meena Seshamani, the Deputy Administrator & Director, Center for Medicare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Linda Hamacher, Michigan senior benefitting from the Inflation Reduction Act
Eric Schneidewind, former AARP national president and Michigan health care advocate

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHERE: Register to join the Zoom event (Registration required)

WHEN: Wednesday, June 28, at 2 PM ET

CONTACT: Katie Baker
[email protected]
740-485-1125

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 23 AT 12:30 PM EST***

House Republicans Pass Legislation to Promote Junk Plans and Undermine the ACA protections

Washington, D.C. — On Friday, June 23, at 12:30 PM, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, will join Protect Our Care Virginia to discuss House Republicans’ vote to weaken protections for Virginians with pre-existing conditions and undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The call is a response to a legislative package House Republicans passed on Wednesday evening that includes several measures to promote junk health insurance plans that undermine patient protections under the ACA and weaken access to affordable health coverage. The Association Health Plans Act, Self Insurance Protection Act, and CHOICE Arrangement Act all promote insurance plans that undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions and fail to require coverage of essential services like hospital visits and prescription drugs. Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), similar to health savings accounts, only reward the highest-income, and healthiest workers while worsening racial and ethnic inequities in health care. 

These bills are just the latest in the Republican war on affordable, quality health care and gut protections for pre-existing conditions and are more about giving tax breaks to the wealthy. If signed into law, this legislation would only force more families to gamble with their health care, putting them at serious risk of medical debt if they get sick. Ranking Member Scott will highlight how President Biden and Democrats in Congress are working to lower costs and expand access to health care, despite ongoing Republican attacks.

PRESS CALL:

WHO: Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03),
Protect Our Care, and healthcare storytellers

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference on Zoom

WHERE: Register to join the Zoom event (Registration required)

WHEN: Friday, June 23 at 12:30 PM EST

House Package Promotes Junk Plans, Threatens ACA Protections, and Undermines Affordable Health Coverage

Washington, D.C. — Today, House Republicans passed a legislative package that includes several measures to promote junk health insurance plans that undermine patient protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and weaken access to affordable health coverage. The Association Health Plans Act, Self Insurance Protection Act, and CHOICE Arrangement Act all promote insurance plans that remove protections for people with pre-existing conditions and fail to require coverage of essential services like hospital visits and prescription drugs. 

Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), similar to health savings accounts, only reward the highest-income workers while worsening racial and ethnic inequities in health care. These bills are especially harmful to communities of color and other marginalized groups who are more likely to face barriers to accessing quality, affordable health care. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“These bills are part of the Republican war on affordable, quality health care and gut protections for pre-existing conditions and are more about giving tax breaks to the wealthy than helping people get the health care they need. Republicans are once again using their power to strip protections from people with pre-existing conditions and boost insurance company profits. While Republicans are voting on their health care bills – which are widely rejected by the American people, – they oppose legislation that would lower drug prices, make coverage more affordable, and make the health care system fairer for families. Thankfully, President Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting people with pre-existing conditions and putting Americans’ access to quality health care first and can block this legislation in the Senate.” 

Background: 

Read more about the Association Health Plan legislation here.

Big Pharma Enters Attack On Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Negotiations

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) filed a lawsuit to stop Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices, joining Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb in challenging the constitutionality of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiation Program, which allows Medicare to negotiate lower prices for millions of people on Medicare. The authority to negotiate lower prices marks a historic victory against Big Pharma, making prescription drugs more affordable for American patients who pay up to four times more for the same drugs as people in other wealthy countries. 

In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued a statement:

“Big Pharma’s greed knows no bounds. While Americans are cutting pills and skipping doses, pharmaceutical companies are putting all of their energy into suing the federal government to protect their ability to charge patients outrageous prices to pad their sky-high profits. PhRMA spent record amounts on lobbying to kill the Inflation Reduction Act, and now they are doing everything in their power to stop the law from delivering lower costs to patients. The American people deserve better.” 

Background

Merck Manufactures Pricy Diabetes Drug Likely To Qualify For Negotiation. Merck manufactures Januvia, a type 2 diabetes drug that is likely to be eligible for negotiation and has been on the market without competition for 17 years. In 2021 alone, Medicare spent over $4 billion on the drug. 

Bristol Myers Squibb Manufactures Eliquis, Which is Likely To Qualify For the First Round of Negotiations. Bristol Myers Squibb is motivated to block the Negotiation Program because its blockbuster drug Eliquis is likely to qualify for negotiation. In 2021 alone, Medicare spent over $12.5 billion on the blood clot drug, which is taken by over three million Medicare beneficiaries. BMS is also motivated to block future negotiations over the price of its drugs after announcing that it anticipates several blockbuster drug launches in the near term that could deliver annual sales of $25 billion or more by the end of the decade. 

Big Pharma Will Stop At Nothing To Protect Its Profits. This lawsuit is just the latest salvo in PhRMA’s endless war to protect its profits. In 2022, the pharmaceutical industry spent over $375 million lobbying against efforts to rein in prescription drug costs and tens of millions of dollars more on false and misleading television and online ads trying to defeat the Inflation Reduction Act in Congress.

Biden Administration Continues Rolling Out Savings Through Medicare Drug Price Negotiation

Watch the video here.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Protect Our Care is releasing a new video as part of Lower Prescription Drug Costs Summer. Passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration is working to implement the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program that will finally give Medicare the authority to negotiate lower prices, making prescription drugs more affordable for millions of seniors and people with disabilities. The summer of 2023 has several key dates as part of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program implementation:

• By early July, final guidance will be released laying out how the selection and negotiation of lower prices for prescription drugs will be done.
• August 16 is the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act. 
• By September 1, the ten drugs that are selected for the first round of price negotiations will be announced.

Protect Our Care Director of Policy Programs Andrea Harris issued the following statement:

“The age of Big Pharma’s unchecked power to charge whatever they want for drugs is coming to an end. Thanks to President Biden and Congressional Democrats, Medicare can now negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors. By early July, the Biden Administration will begin the process of saving seniors and taxpayers billions of dollars.

“Meanwhile, Big Pharma’s greed knows no bounds as patients in America pay up to four times more for the same drugs as patients in other wealthy countries. Big Pharma is turning to the courts to try to protect their sky-high profits at the expense of patients while their GOP allies in Congress are trying to repeal and weaken the negotiation measure.”

Video Script:

Welcome to Lower Prescription Drug Costs Summer! 

All thanks to President Biden and Congressional Democrats’ achievement of lowering prescription drug costs for seniors through the Inflation Reduction Act. 

This major accomplishment came without a single Republican vote and despite millions of dollars in misleading advertising and lobbying from Big Pharma.

With this new law, the American people won a decades-long battle to finally allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. 

So what’s happening this summer? 

Here are some key dates to keep in mind as the Biden-Harris administration rolls out the new drug law:

• By early July, the administration will release final guidance laying out the rules of the road for selecting and negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs.
• August 16 marks the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act. 
• And by September 1, the administration will announce which ten drugs are selected for the first round of price negotiations. These will likely be drugs used by millions of seniors to treat conditions like blood clots, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.

With Medicare negotiation for prescription drug prices, the era of Big Pharma being in the driver’s seat is coming to an end. 

This progress is particularly important for seniors of color and people with disabilities, who experience health disparities in part because they have more limited access to affordable drugs. 

The new prescription drug law is overwhelmingly popular, yet the pharmaceutical industry is suing to stop it and Republicans in Congress are vowing to repeal it.

But President Biden and Democrats in Congress are more committed than ever to lowering the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans — and that’s why the work we do this summer is so important.

Let’s keep up the momentum so that ALL Americans can afford their medications.

The time to act is now.

Washington, DC — The Republican Study Committee just released a budget proposal that repeals the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare negotiation program, hikes premium costs, and slashes Medicaid. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:

“Republicans are reigniting their war on American health care. This plan hikes prescription drug prices, raises premiums on families, and slashes Medicaid. They want to drag us back to a time when Big Pharma and insurance companies had unchecked power — all at the expense of patients, and particularly seniors, people with disabilities, people of color, and rural Americans. They want to put people’s lives at risk just so the rich can get richer. Some things never change: Republicans want to raise health costs, ditch critical protections, and put profits over patients’ lives. If they get their way, it would be disastrous for the health and well-being of people across our country.”