October 2023

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Millions Will Find Plans at Little to No Cost 

Washington, D.C. — Tomorrow is the first day of the 2024 open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. Over the next several weeks, millions of Americans will visit HealthCare.gov to sign up for affordable health coverage. Thanks to the work of President Biden and Democrats in Congress, the 2023 open enrollment period was the most successful in history — with almost 16 million Americans signing up for coverage. The Inflation Reduction Act’s expansion of premium tax credits as well as the Biden administration’s historic investment in the Navigator program and other initiatives to make coverage more affordable means the ACA will offer quality, affordable health care to more Americans. Eighty percent of people can now find coverage through the Marketplace for $10 or less per month.

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

“Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, millions of Americans can get quality and affordable health care through the ACA at little to no cost. People should go to HealthCare.gov to see if they qualify for health plans with lower premium costs – especially those who may have lost their Medicaid coverage in recent months. The Inflation Reduction Act is helping working families across the country save an average of $2,400 on their premiums, dramatically increasing the number of insured Americans and giving them more room to pay for other necessities like food, gas, and rent. Despite repeated attempts by Republicans to repeal and undermine the ACA, including taking away protections from people with pre-existing conditions, Democrats are committed to ensuring people in America have access to quality, affordable, and equitable care.” 

Background: 

FACT SHEET: ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment Starts November 1, Bringing Expanded Savings for Millions of American Families 

Thanks to the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress, the Inflation Reduction Act Extended Premium Subsidies to Millions of Americans Through 2025

On November 1, the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces will begin. Americans have until January 16 to enroll in coverage for 2024, and those who sign up by December 15 will have coverage that starts on January 1. Several state-based marketplaces will allow for enrollment beyond this deadline. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s advanced premium tax credits championed by President Biden and Democrats in Congress, high-quality coverage through the ACA marketplaces is more affordable than ever, with four in five customers eligible for coverage costing $10 or less per month.

This open enrollment season is especially important for helping people maintain health coverage as states redetermine individuals’ Medicaid eligibility following the end of the pandemic-era continuous eligibility requirement. Many people who are no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage will be able to get low-cost, quality health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

The open enrollment period is crucial not only for those looking for coverage, but also for families who may already be covered. At a time of rising costs, even people who already have health coverage should go to HealthCare.gov to check if more affordable plan options are available to them.

BY THE NUMBERS: Americans Will Continue to Save Big On Health Care

• In 2023, 15.6 million people enrolled in coverage through an ACA marketplace, the highest number of Americans to ever enroll and a 38% increase (4.3 million people) since Biden took office.
• 90 percent of people with an ACA plan are saving an average of $800 per individual and $2,400 per family on health insurance premiums as a result of the ACA’s financial assistance.
• In 2023, 4.6 million more consumers are receiving tax credits to lower their out-of-pocket premium costs than in 2021, including 1.4 million middle income consumers who are newly eligible for lower premiums thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.  
• In this open enrollment, 4 in 5 consumers will be able to enroll in coverage for less than $10 per month.

How The Biden Administration And Democrats In Congress Have Reduced The Cost Of ACA Coverage

President Biden and Democrats in Congress have been laser focused on making health care more affordable for Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act lowers health care costs and expands eligibility for millions of Americans. In 2021, the American Rescue Plan expanded premium subsidy eligibility to those making over 400 percent of the federal poverty level and capped premium costs at 8.5 percent of family income across the board. The Inflation Reduction Act extends those subsidies through 2025, keeping a lifeline available for families across the country. A record 15.6 million Americans enrolled in Marketplace coverage for 2023, with 9 in 10 consumers receiving financial assistance to lower their premium costs. President Biden also finalized a fix to the “family glitch,” which allows even more families to access affordable coverage.

Capping The Amount Of Money Families Pay For Health Insurance. The Inflation Reduction Act ensures families pay no more than 8.5 percent of their income towards coverage. This helps middle income and working families, as well as older Americans who have traditionally faced excessive premiums or live in high-premium areas. Before the enhanced premium subsidies, middle income families spent an average of 15 percent of their incomes on health insurance. The subsidies are designed to benefit those who need it most, which means the higher your income, the smaller your tax credits become. A family whose health insurance premiums alone — not including deductibles — are less than 8.5 percent of their income receive no tax credits at all. 

Addressing Health Care Equity By Lowering Costs For Communities of Color. The Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium subsidies, as well as substantial funding increases for Marketplace education and outreach, have boosted the number of people of color who are now covered by health insurance. Communities of color are finding health plans more affordable than ever with 53 percent more Latinos, 49 percent more Black Americans, 32 percent more American Indian and Alaska Natives enrolling in Marketplace coverage. The Biden administration has invested $98.6 million in 57 experienced Navigator organizations for the 2024 Open Enrollment Period to provide enrollment assistance to consumers, with a focus on underserved communities.

Expanding Coverage For Communities Of Color. The Center on Budget Policy and Priorities estimates the increased savings continued under the Inflation Reduction Act will cause a sharp decline in the uninsured rate across every racial group, with one in three uninsured Black adults expected to gain coverage. Prior to the American Rescue Plan, more than 11 million uninsured adults were eligible for premium tax credits, with people of color making up roughly half of the group. The premium savings continued in the Inflation Reduction Act have made more than 65 percent of uninsured Black adults eligible for zero dollar premium plans and 75 percent eligible for plans less than $50 a month. For uninsured Hispanic and Latino adults, now more than 68 percent are eligible for zero dollar premium plans and nearly 80 percent can access plans for less than $50 a month. Health coverage is imperative to reducing racial disparities across the nation. 

Eliminating Premiums For Low-Wage Workers. The Inflation Reduction Act ensures no American with an income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level buying their coverage on the Marketplace pays a premium.

Cutting Costs For Rural America. Thanks to the provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, roughly 65 percent of rural Americans have access to zero dollar premium health coverage and more than 76 percent are able to find a plan for less than $50 a month, narrowing the coverage differences between rural and urban America.

Eliminating The Family Glitch. Up until recently, the “family glitch,” blocked families from receiving premium subsidies if someone in their household had access to affordable health care through employment, even if the whole family wasn’t covered by that insurance. The Biden administration’s new rule will more realistically determine what is considered affordable for families, allowing an additional 1 million people to be eligible for affordable health care on the marketplace and receive premium subsidies. 

Republicans Want To Repeal The ACA And Hike Health Care Costs

The Biden administration’s commitment to expanding affordable health coverage stands in sharp contrast to Republicans’ record on affordable health care. After more than 50 failed attempts to repeal the law, Republicans are still committed to increasing health care costs by dismantling the ACA. A recent study found that Republican hostility toward affordable health care led 3 million fewer people to enroll in coverage between 2014 and 2019, which increased average premiums by nearly 3 percent. Repealing the ACA would increase the number of uninsured Americans from 26.6 million to 61.6 million, according to 2020 data. Americans of all ages would be impacted by coverage losses. 

Attacks on the ACA continue in 2023 with Trump’s former Office of Management and Budget Chief Russ Vought’s plan to navigate debt ceiling negotiations that would have cut $2 trillion from Medicaid alone, disproportionately impacting children, people with disabilities, rural Americans, and people of color and $600 billion in cuts to the ACA, which would rip coverage from 20 million Americans and raise premiums for nearly 15 million more. In April, the Association Health Plans Act and Self Insurance Protection Act was introduced that would allow for insurers to charge more to “employers with workers that cost more to cover such as women, older people, people with chronic illnesses and pre-existing conditions and people with disabilities.” Attacks continue as Republicans just elected Mike Johnson (R-A) as Speaker of the House. Johnson has a radical health care record with his efforts to repeal the ACA, hike health care premiums, and rip away protections for people with pre-existing conditions. 

Amgen announced it raked in $6.9 billion this quarter – a 4 percent increase over last year – during their earnings report today. While they make billions, Americans pay exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs. Amgen opposes the Biden administration reforms that lower prescription drug prices. 

• During the call, CEO Robert A. Bradway bragged: “We are excited about our pipeline progress and our operating performance in the third quarter.”
• Amgen announced it rewarded shareholders by paying a dividend in September at a rate 10% higher than the previous year.
• Enbrel, Amgen’s blockbuster immunosuppressant drug that was selected among the first ten drugs to have lower prices negotiated by Medicare, brought in more than $1 billion in sales this quarter.
• Amgen is part of PhRMA, which is suing the Biden administration to stop Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for patients because it would endanger their massive profits. 
• In Q3, Amgen also completed its acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics, a drug manufacturer specializing in rare disease drugs. Drug companies erroneously claim Medicare negotiation will threaten investment in drugs for rare diseases, but Amgen is betting a rare drug portfolio will be good for their bottom line; Amgen paid $27.8 billion for Horizon.
• Drug companies charge Americans prices up to four times higher than prices in other countries, forcing patients to cut pills and skip doses to make ends meet. 
• Over 80 percent of voters support giving Medicare the power to negotiate, making it the most popular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The Inflation Reduction Act brings down prescription drug costs for everyday Americans, especially seniors, by capping the price of insulin at $35 per month and providing free vaccines including shingles, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and limiting the amount people have to pay each year for prescription drugs to $2,000 annually starting in 2025.  

Read more:

REPORT: Why Medicare Needs the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Costs: The Five Drugs That Tell the Story

FACT SHEET: Big Drug Companies Are in Court to Stop Medicare Negotiation and Protect Their Sky-High Profits

Affordable Care Act Coverage Is More Affordable Than Ever Thanks To Expanded Tax Credits

Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 9 AM ET, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will join Protect Our Care at the Legal Aid Justice Center, an Enroll Virginia site, to mark the first day of the 2024 Affordable Care Act open enrollment period where he will participate in a press conference. At the event, Secretary Becerra will encourage Americans to sign up for quality, affordable coverage during open enrollment. Last year, a record-breaking 16.3 million people signed up for coverage through the ACA marketplaces – with around 3.6 million new registrations. 

The Biden-Harris administration has expanded premium tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act, made historic investments in the Navigator program, and fixed the family glitch, which have expanded access to affordable coverage. These changes have also increased the number of people of color who have health coverage, which is essential to reducing racial disparities in health and economic outcomes. The Inflation Reduction Act expanded tax credits through 2025 to make coverage more affordable, reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket premiums for millions of people, and the tax credits are also available for more households than ever before. Now, 80% of people can find coverage through the Marketplace for $10 or less. These tax credits put money back in the pockets of Americans who now won’t have to make impossible choices between lifesaving health care and putting food on the table or paying rent. 

LOGISTICAL INFORMATION
Details are subject to change.

Protect Our Care and Legal Aid Justice Center Medicare Open Enrollment Press Conference

WHO:

• Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
• Angela Ciolfi, Executive Director of Legal Aid Justice Center 
• Deepak Madala, Director of the Center for Healthy Communities and ENROLL Virginia!, Virginia Poverty Law Center 
• Ruth Alburez, Navigator with Legal Aid Justice Center
• Adriana Rossi, Patient Storyteller from Fairfax County, Virginia 
• Health Care Provider 
• Leslie Dach, Founder and Chair of Protect Our Care

WHERE: Legal Aid Justice Center, 6402 Arlington Blvd #1130, Falls Church, VA 22042

WHEN: Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 9 AM ET

PRESS: RSVP to [email protected] 

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare is better than ever and seniors will pay no more than $35 per month on insulin. President Biden and Democrats in Congress worked tirelessly to lower health care costs for seniors who have worked hard their whole lives. Too many seniors on fixed incomes have been kept at night worried about paying the bills — gas, groceries, medicines and more. This $35 cap helps millions of insulin users on Medicare afford the medicines they need to stay alive. Before the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, too many diabetic seniors had to skip doses because of the high costs. Now thousands more seniors are able to fill their prescriptions for insulin each month. While taking insulin as prescribed reduces the likelihood of costly complications such as vision loss, heart disease, and kidney disease. 

This is just the beginning: In 2025, seniors’ total drug costs will be capped at $2,000 per year and, in 2026, new savings from Medicare’s drug price negotiation will take effect. Together, these provisions will save seniors thousands of dollars on prescription drugs. And while the Inflation Reduction Act addressed the insulin affordability crisis for seniors, Democrats in Congress are also working to extend that cap so no American will pay more than $35/month for their insulin.

WHAT THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT’S $35 INSULIN CAP DOES FOR SENIORS WITH DIABETES

Makes Insulin Accessible and Affordable For Seniors. In 2020, there were more than 3.2 million insulin users on Medicare Part D, with nearly 1.7 million purchasing their insulin without low-income subsidies. On average, seniors with Medicare Part D who are not receiving subsidies pay an average of $572 every year for this life saving medication — an unthinkable sum for many on fixed incomes. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, insulin copays for seniors on Medicare are now capped at $35 each month.

Thousands More Seniors Are Filling Their Insulin Prescriptions. The Inflation Reduction Act’s cap on insulin copays has led to increases in the total number of insulin prescriptions filled for Medicare beneficiaries. A study from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and University of Wisconsin–Madison found that following the cap’s enactment in January 2023, the number of insulin fills among Medicare Part D enrollees increased from 519,588 to 523,564 per month.

Rural Seniors Are Able to Access Affordable and Quality Care. According to a 2018 study, rural Americans are 17 percent more likely to suffer from diabetes than urban Americans. Diabetes risk factors are higher in rural areas than their urban and suburban counterparts as they have limited access to health care providers, fewer transportation options to receive care, and higher rates of being uninsured. These seniors are forced to stop taking their medication or cut doses in half. Diabetics suffer severe effects such as numbness in feet and nerve damage in the eyes when they stop taking doses as prescribed. Patients who suffer chronic complications can expect to pay upwards of an additional $650 per year. The insulin cap provision in the Inflation Reduction Act vastly improves the lives of millions of these vulnerable insulin users.

Americans Of Color Are Disproportionately Affected By Diabetes. Deaths related to diabetes are three times more likely among people of color than their white counterparts. Over 12 percent of Americans of color experience diabetes due to a combination of genetic, socioeconomic, and environmental risk factors.  11.8 percent of Hispanic adults have diabetes and are 50 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes over the course of their lifetime than their white counterparts. Racial and ethnic minority populations are also at a higher burden of diabetes-related complications, such as kidney disease, blindness, and worse glycemic control. Despite the higher risk of complications, Americans of color are less likely to receive recommended preventive care and annual screenings, largely as a result of systemic access barriers to this care. Americans of color spend upwards of $10,000 a year on diabetes-related costs. 

Americans Of Color Skip, Ration, Or Delay Insulin Doses At Higher Rates Than Their White Counterparts. With rates of uninsurance also being highest among people of color, these insulin users are at a higher risk of skipping, rationing, or delaying insulin doses. Nearly 24 percent of Black Americans ration insulin compared to 16 percent of their white and Hispanic counterparts. Black adults also continue to be the hardest hit when it comes to affording their prescription drugs and paying medical bills. The Inflation Reduction Act’s insulin cap is promoting health equity by expanding access and increasing affordability for diabetic seniors of color so much so that the prevalence of skipping doses is already beginning to fall. 

REPUBLICANS ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP INSULIN PRICES HIGH

Republicans Blocked Insulin Cap for Millions of Americans. As the final negotiations were being made on the Inflation Reduction Act, Republicans in the Senate unified together to make sure that the $35 insulin cap was not universal. In a country where 80 percent of diabetics have had to go into debt in order to pay for insulin, this type of action by Republicans reeks of the influence of Big Pharma. An additional 21 million insulin users of all ages would have benefited from this universal program, including the nearly 300,000 young people under 20 who are diagnosed with diabetes. 1 in 5 people with private insurance pays more than $35 per month and, for people who are uninsured or have poor coverage, insulin can cost up to $1,000 per month. A striking 14 percent of insulin users spend catastrophic amounts, or at least 40 percent of their income, on insulin. The Affordable Insulin Now Act, which will build upon the gains of the Inflation Reduction Act, is supported widely by Democrats but has been continually shot down by Republican legislators.

HHS Regional Director, State and City Officials Will Headline Events in Three States to Educate Seniors About Lower Drug Prices

Watch All Tour Stops Live Here.

Washington, D.C. — On the second week of the “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour, Protect Our Care’s Medicare-A-Van will make stops in three states to educate seniors across the nation about new benefits thanks to legislation signed into law last year by President Biden. As seniors begin to enroll in their 2024 Medicare plans, they could save thousands of dollars on their prescription drug costs, with even more savings down the road. Over three weeks, Protect Our Care will travel to more than 10 states, make more than 25 stops, and travel over 7,000 miles.

The tour will highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act, including: 

• Medicare negotiation for lower drug prices 
• A $35 monthly copay cap on insulin 
• Free shingles and other essential vaccinations
• $2,000 out-of-pocket caps on prescription drugs beginning in 2025

Right now, the Biden administration is in the process of lowering prices for the first round of high-cost prescription drugs under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, and those prices will take effect in 2026. The first ten drugs selected for negotiation are taken by nearly 9 million people on Medicare, who spent $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs last year alone. This new program will lower prices for some of the highest-priced prescription drugs on the market used to treat conditions like diabetes, heart failure, blood clots, and autoimmune disorders.

MONDAY

HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA:
WHO:
Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed
Beth Bland, Executive Director of the Valley Program for Aging Services
Betty Tabony, storyteller

WHERE: Ralph Sampson Park, 431 E Washington St, Harrisonburg, VA 22802

WHEN: Monday, October 30, 2023 at 11:00 AM ET

TUESDAY

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA:
WHO:
Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea
Delegate Sam Rasoul
Ron Boyd, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Local Office on Aging
Robbie Boyd, LTC Ombudsman at the Local Office on Aging

WHERE: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, 1st St NW, Roanoke, VA 24016

WHEN: Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET

WEDNESDAY

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA:
WHO:
State Representative Sarah Crawford
Carla West, Senior Director for Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, NC DHHS
Two Retired School Personnel Members

WHERE: Moore Square Park, 201 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601

WHEN: Wednesday, November 01, 2023 at TBA

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA:
WHO:
Two Retired School Personnel Members

WHERE: TBA

WHEN: Wednesday, November 01, 2023 at TBA

THURSDAY

ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
WHO:
HHS Regional Director
Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Rob Pitts
A Representative from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
A Representative from the Office of Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA-05)

WHERE: H.J.C. Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility, 2885 Church St, East Point, GA 30344

WHEN: Thursday, November 02, 2023 at TBA

FRIDAY
LITHONIA, GEORGIA:
WHO:
A Representative from the Office of Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA-04)

WHERE: Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Rd, Lithonia, GA 30058

WHEN: Friday, November 03, 2023 at 11:00 AM ET

Lieutenant Governor, HHS Regional Directors, State and City Officials Headlined “Medicare is Better Than Ever” Tour Events to Educate Seniors About Lower Drug Prices

On the first week of Protect Our Care’s 7,000-mile “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour, the Medicare-A-Van made stops in four states to educate seniors across the nation about new benefits thanks to legislation signed into law last year by President Biden. As seniors begin to enroll in their 2024 Medicare plans, they could save thousands of dollars on their prescription drug costs, with even more savings down the road.

During each stop, local elected officials, health care advocates, and storytellers discussed how the Inflation Reduction Act will improve care and lower costs for American seniors. Protect Our Care also made headlines across the nation educating seniors on the new benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act, including free vaccines, $35 insulin caps, protections from outrageous price hikes, and lower drug costs thanks to Medicare negotiation. 

Next week, the tour continues in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Over three weeks, the Medicare-A-Van will travel to more than 10 states, make more than 25 stops, and travel over 7,000 miles.

Watch All Tour Stops Here

Syracuse, New York

State Senator John Mannion and Syracuse Common Council President Helen Hudson joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at Syracuse City Hall to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Coverage:

• Spectrum News CNY: Protect Our Care Medicare is Better Than Ever Van Tour Stops in Syracuse

Watch the event here.

New Windsor, New York

State Senator James Skoufis joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Marasco Senior Center in New Windsor to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Coverage:

• MidHudson News: Protect Our Care’s Medicare is Better Than Ever tour rolls into Orange County
• News12 Westchester: Protect Our Care Medicare is Better Than Ever Van Tour Stops in Westchester

Watch the event here.

Westchester, New York

Westchester County Executive George Latimer and HHS Regional Director Dara Kass joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Theodore D. Young Community Center in White Plains to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Coverage:

• News-12 (Westchester): Medicare is Better Than Ever Tour Rolls Through Hudson Valley 

Watch the event here.

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at Sheeley’s Drug Store in Scranton to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Watch the event here.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center in Harrisburg to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Coverage:

• WGAL (NBC): Medicare is Better Than Ever in Harrisburg
• WMPT (FOX): Medicare is Better Than Ever in Harrisburg
• PACast: Medicare is Better Than Ever Tour in Harrisburg
• 21News (CBS): Medicare is Better Than Ever Tour Touts Savings for Seniors
• WGAL (NBC): Event touts Medicare improvements that could help seniors save thousands on prescription drugs

Watch the event here.

Flint, Michigan

HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Brennan Senior Center in Flint to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Coverage:

• WJRT (ABC) Morning News: Nationwide Medicare Education Tour Stopped in Flint
• WJRT (ABC) Evening News: Nationwide Medicare Education Tour Stopped in Flint
• WSMH (FOX): Health Officials Visit Flint to Educate Seniors on Medicare Plans
• WNEM (CBS): “Medicare is Better Than Ever” Tour Hits Flint

Watch the event here.

Lansing, Michigan

HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Coverage:

• WLAJ (ABC): Medicare is Better Than Ever Tour Visits Lansing
• WILX (NBC): Medicare Helpers Tour The Nation

Watch the event here.

Madison, Wisconsin

HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Goodman Community Center in Madison to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Watch the event here.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi joined Protect Our Care’s “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour and health care advocates at the Washington Park Senior Center in Milwaukee to highlight all of the new cost-saving benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act which will lower premiums and prescription drug costs. 

Watch the event here.

Additional “Medicare Autumn” Coverage

National

• Conversations LIVE! With Cyrus Webb

Maryland

• WBFF: Medicare Open Enrollment Brings New Benefits and Savings for Millions of Seniors

Michigan

• WPHM

Oklahoma

• KOKH: Seniors to Experience Relief in 2024: New Savings on Skyrocketing Prescription Drug Costs

Tennessee

• WTVC: Seniors to Experience Prescription Drug Cost Relief in 2024

Utah

• KUTV: New Benefits for Seniors During Open Enrollment

Wisconsin

• WCUB

This morning, AbbVie announced it raked in over $13.9 billion in the third quarter of 2023 – $24 million more than expected – during their earnings report. While they make billions, Americans pay exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs. AbbVie opposes the Biden administration reforms that lower prescription drug prices.

• During the call, CEO Rick Gonzales bragged about the company’s strong growth platform: “I’m extremely pleased with our continued strong momentum and execution across our business. Our growth platform is substantially outperforming our expectations.”
• AbbVie announced it is rewarding its shareholders with a 4.7 percent dividend increase, payable in February 2024.
• Imbruvica, AbbVie’s blockbuster leukemia drug that was selected among the first ten drugs to have lower prices negotiated by Medicare, brought in more than $900 million this quarter.
• Drug companies charge Americans prices up to four times higher than prices in other countries, forcing patients to cut pills and skip doses to make ends meet. 
• Over 80 percent of voters support giving Medicare the power to negotiate, making it the most popular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The Inflation Reduction Act brings down prescription drug costs for everyday Americans, especially seniors, by capping the price of insulin at $35 per month and providing free vaccines including shingles, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and limiting the amount people have to pay each year for prescription drugs to $2,000 annually starting in 2025.  

Read more:

REPORT: Why Medicare Needs the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Costs: The Five Drugs That Tell the Story

FACT SHEET: Big Drug Companies Are in Court to Stop Medicare Negotiation and Protect Their Sky-High Profits

Merck announced it raked in $16 billion this quarter – a $1.04 billion increase over last year – during their earnings report. While they make billions, Americans pay exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs. Merck opposes the Biden administration reforms that lower prescription drug prices. 

• During the call, CEO Rob Davis bragged about the company’s “We remain committed to our dividend and plan to increase it over time. Business development continues to be a high priority. Our track record demonstrates our ability to identify compelling science and technologies that have the potential… to rapidly progress the opportunities for the benefit of… our shareholders.”
• Merck announced it is rewarding its shareholders with $338 million in stock buybacks over just this past quarter. 
• Merck is suing the Biden administration to stop Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for patients because it would endanger their massive profits. 
• Drug companies charge Americans prices up to four times higher than prices in other countries, forcing patients to cut pills and skip doses to make ends meet. 
• Over 80 percent of voters support giving Medicare the power to negotiate, making it the most popular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The Inflation Reduction Act brings down prescription drug costs for everyday Americans, especially seniors, by capping the price of insulin at $35 per month and providing free vaccines including shingles, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and limiting the amount people have to pay each year for prescription drugs to $2,000 annually starting in 2025.  

Read more:

REPORT: Why Medicare Needs the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Costs: The Five Drugs That Tell the Story

FACT SHEET: Big Drug Companies Are in Court to Stop Medicare Negotiation and Protect Their Sky-High Profits

Bristol Myers Squibb announced it raked in $11 billion this quarter during their earnings report today. While they make billions, Americans pay exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs. Bristol Myers Squibb opposes Biden administration reforms that lower prescription drug prices. 

• Eliquis, Bristol Myers Squibb’s blockbuster blood clot drug that was selected among the first ten drugs to have lower prices negotiated by Medicare, brought in $2.7 billion this quarter – a 2 percent increase over last year. 
• Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Giovanni Caforio bragged about “the diversification of our business, the breadth of our new product portfolio and the strength of our pipeline” while his company is simultaneously suing the Biden administration to stop Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for patients because it would endanger their massive profits. 
• In August, Bristol Myers Squibb announced it is rewarding its shareholders with $4 billion in stock buybacks, which they expect to complete by the end of 2023. 
• Drug companies charge Americans prices up to four times higher than prices in other countries, forcing patients to cut pills and skip doses to make ends meet. 
• Over 80 percent of voters support giving Medicare the power to negotiate, making it the most popular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The Inflation Reduction Act brings down prescription drug costs for everyday Americans, especially seniors, by capping the price of insulin at $35 per month and providing free vaccines including shingles, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and limiting the amount people have to pay each year for prescription drugs to $2,000 annually starting in 2025.  

Read more:

REPORT: Why Medicare Needs the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Costs: The Five Drugs That Tell the Story

FACT SHEET: Big Drug Companies Are in Court to Stop Medicare Negotiation and Protect Their Sky-High Profits

Washington, D.C. — With the House GOP in utter chaos after failing to elect a Speaker once again, Republicans have rallied behind Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). Just like Kevin McCarthy and Jim Jordan, Mike Johnson has a long history of fighting to raise health care costs and rip away critical protections from the American people.

Since taking office in 2017, Johnson has opposed the Affordable Care Act and has worked to rip away protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. He’s supported cuts to Medicare and Social Security, threatening the health and well-being of our nation’s seniors, and he supports a nationwide abortion ban. Johnson has spent the last four years fighting legislation to lower drug costs in order to keep Big Pharma’s profits high. Under Rep. Johnson’s leadership, Republicans will undoubtedly double down on their war on health care and their radical agenda of opposing the Affordable Care Act, slashing Medicare and Medicaid, and hiking drug and health insurance costs.

In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Mike Johnson is completely out of step with the American people on health care. He voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and rip away protections for 135 million Americans pre-existing conditions. He supports cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and has spent years fighting to keep prescription drug costs high for seniors. Now, he wants to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and stop Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices. Johnson’s record is clear and, under his leadership, Republicans will undoubtedly continue their radical agenda of attacking people with pre-existing conditions, repealing the Affordable Care Act, slashing Medicare, and hiking drug and health insurance costs.” 

If Mike Johnson got his way:

• Medicare would be banned from negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs
• Insulin prices would not have been capped at $35/month for seniors
• Seniors would have to pay more than $2,000 a year out-of-pocket for prescriptions.
• Drug companies would be able to once again raise prices faster than the rate of inflation without penalty.
• Health care coverage for about 23 million people would have been eliminated by 2026
• People with pre-existing conditions could again be denied coverage or charged higher prices
• …. and so much more.

THE DETAILS: Mike Johnson Voted For Higher Premiums And Prescription Drug Costs 

2021: Mike Johnson, And Every Republican In Congress, Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act. Johnson joined every Republican in Congress in voting against the Inflation Reduction Act, which “requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs under Medicare beginning in 2026,” and “requires drug manufacturers to issue rebates to the CMS for brand-name drugs without generic equivalents under Medicare medical services that cost $100 or more per year per individual and for which prices increase faster than inflation.” [HR 5376, Roll Call Vote #420, 8/12/21] 

• Johnson Has Ties To Drug Industry Special Interests. Johnson has significant ties to the pharmaceutical and drug manufacturing industry, having pocketed $7,500 from the industry during the 2022 midterm election cycle while running unopposed. Big drug companies fiercely lobbied against the Inflation Reduction Act, which included provisions allowing the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare.

What The Inflation Reduction Act Means For America:

• The Inflation Reduction Act will save 19 million seniors an average of $400 per year when the $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs goes into effect in 2025. 
• Nearly 2 million people have continued to save an average of more than $800 per year from reduced health insurance premiums.
• Insulin co-payments were capped for the 4 million Medicare beneficiaries who use insulin.
• Millions of people with Medicare are receiving recommended vaccines at no cost.

2021: Mike Johnson, And Every Republican In Congress, Voted Against the American Rescue Plan. Johnson joined every Republican in Congress in voting against the American Rescue Plan, which “provide[d] health insurance premium assistance for individuals who become eligible for, and elect to enroll in, the COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) continuation coverage program,” increased the rate of “the refundable tax credit for coverage under qualified health plan”, and “ma[de] individuals who received unemployment compensation in 2021 eligible for cost-sharing subsidies for health care expenses under qualified health insurance plans.” [HR 1319, Roll Call Vote #72, 3/10/21] 

 What The American Rescue Plan Meant For America:

• Saved families an average of $2,400 a year on their health insurance premiums.
• Ensured all Americans never pay more than 8.5 percent of their household incomes towards an ACA Marketplace premium.
• Eliminated premiums for people earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level who buy their coverage on the ACA Marketplace.
• Extended the premium tax credit to 3.1 million Americans.

 2019: Mike Johnson Voted Against HR3. Johnson joined all but two House Republicans in voting against the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (HR 3), which would have lowered the cost of prescription drug prices by “empowering the federal government to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers.” HR 3 would have required the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate maximum prices for insulin, new and existing single-source brand-name drugs without generics, the top drugs expensed through Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and would have set price ceilings at 120% of the average price in similar countries or 85% of the price for domestic manufacturers. [HR 3, Roll Call Vote #682, 12/12/19] 

What HR 3 Meant For America:

• HR 3 would have established a fair price negotiation program including an out-of-pocket maximum for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
• The bill would have protected tens of millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare from excessive price increases.
• Drug prices would have fallen significantly for people in America.

Mike Johnson Opposes The ACA And Its Protections For 1 in 2 Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions

Johnson Voted Against Legislation To Protect Patients With Pre-Existing Conditions. Johnson voted against the Protecting Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2019, which would have ensured affordable, robust coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions and blocked future administrations from skirting Affordable Care Act coverage requirements. [HR 986, Roll Call Vote #196, 5/9/19]

2017: Mike Johnson Supported Trump’s Disastrous ACA Replacement. In 2017, Johnson cast a decisive vote in passing the frantic Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and rip away health coverage and protections for pre-existing conditions for millions of Americans. Johnson railed against the ACA throughout 2017, claiming numerous times that “Obamacare failed.” [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #256, 5/4/17] 

• Former President Trump Successfully Pressured Johnson To Support His ACA Repeal Effort. Johnson, considered a “trusted member of Donald Trump’s inner circle” during his administration, faced intense pressure to support his bid to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017: “…the then freshman congressman’s first conversation with the president left Johnson shaken and unsure about his political future. […] conservatives like Johnson and members of the ultra right Freedom Caucus balked, despite Trump’s support. ‘It was haphazardly drawn,’ Johnson said. ‘The party wasn’t prepared to act that soon. I couldn’t vote for it.’ Trump called Johnson and dressed him down in a fierce one-sided conversation when he heard the freshman planned to buck the president. ‘I thought that might be the end of my career,’ Johnson said. ‘The conversation was pretty intense.’ […] ‘The last thing I ever imagined when I was elected was that I would have to say no to the president on his first major piece of legislation,’ said Johnson…”

What Did AHCA Mean for America?

• Approximately 1 in 2 people in America with pre-existing conditions would have lost protections for coverage.
• 23 million people would have lost coverage under this bill by 2026
• The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the American Health Care Act would have raised premiums by 20 percent.
• The negative economic impact of the American Health Care Act would have caused 1.8 million people to lose their jobs by 2022.

2017: Within Days Of Joining The House of Representatives, Mike Johnson Voted To Begin The Process of Repealing The Affordable Care Act. Just 10 days after being sworn into office, Johnson voted for SCR 3, a budget resolution that included a provision starting the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act. [SCR 3, Roll Call Vote #58, 1/13/17]

Mike Johnson Wants To Slash Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Mike Johnson Is A Cheerleader For The Push To Cut, Partially Privatize Medicare And Social Security. Johnson has long defended GOP plans to cut Medicare and Social Security. He served as chair of the hardline Republican Study Committee (RSC) from 2019 to 2021, and still serves on the committee. The RSC released a budget outlining plans to raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67 and raise premiums for many seniors while partially privatizing the program. In 2012, Johnson voted to raise the retirement age to 70 and supported a budget attempting to end Medicare and shift costs to seniors. 

2017: Mike Johnson Voted To Cut Medicare By $473 Billion. Johnson voted for the FY 2018 budget resolution, which included $473 billion in cuts to Medicare over 10 years. [H Con Res 71, Vote #557, 10/5/17] 

2017: Mike Johnson Voted To Slash $1.3 Trillion From Medicaid. Johnson voted for the FY 2018 budget resolution, which cut funding for non-Medicare health programs, most notably Medicaid, by 1.3 trillion, a 20 percent cut over the course of 10 years, increasing to a 29.3 percent cut by 2027. [H Con Res 71, Vote #557, 10/5/17] 

2017: Mike Johnson Voted For Trump’s AHCA, Which Cut $880 Billion From Medicaid. Johnson voted for AHCA, which included $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid. [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #256, 5/4/17]

• Vox Called AHCA A “Sneaky” Reversal Of The Medicaid Expansion. “Medicaid, a government program that simply compensates health care providers at stingy rates, is much cheaper than private insurance. So the ACA’s authors chose to expand it to cover all families with incomes below 138 percent of the poverty line, rather than shelling out the money it would have cost to have the government pay for them to buy private insurance. The AHCA reverses this expansion. But to avoid the criticism that the law throws poor children off their health insurance, it reverses it in a somewhat sneaky way. Rather than taking Medicaid away from families who have it, it simply caps new enrollments in Medicaid so no new poor families can sign up. But the way this cap works, you can’t get back on Medicaid if you go off of it. So a poor family that gets a raise and becomes non-poor for a year will lose access to Medicaid permanently.” [Vox, 5/9/17]