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NEW AD: Protect Our Care Launches Delaware Ad in Seven-Figure Campaign Calling for Action To Lower Drug Prices

Delaware Patients Can’t Wait” Is Running on Digital Platforms Statewide

Watch the 30-Second Ad Here

Delaware — Protect Our Care launched a digital ad in Delaware as part of a seven-figure campaign about the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. The ad showcases the impact on patients when drug companies hike the price of essential medicines for Delawareans again and again. The ad makes clear the importance of giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans. 

The ad is part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices, a grassroots and communications campaign calling for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices. The ad is running on digital platforms, focusing particularly on older Delawareans. Protect Our Care will continue to run ads and host events both nationally and in 14 key states, including Delaware, throughout the summer.

“It is shameful that Americans pay three times more for medicines than people in other countries,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “While drug company profits soar, they continue to hike the price of lifesaving drugs for Delawareans and people across the country, forcing millions of families to choose between paying for the medicines they need to live or paying for food or rent. It’s time for Delaware lawmakers to do the right thing and support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. The time to act is now.”

Script for “Delaware Patients Can’t Wait” (:30s):

It’s always the same thing. 

The costs of prescription drugs keep going up. 

How are patients supposed to afford this?

Families need these life-saving drugs just to stay alive.

Delaware families pay 3 times more than people do in other countries to get the same medicines. 

Drug companies make more and more profits, and drug prices go up and up for patients. 

We can’t wait any longer to act.

Congress needs to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices.

NEW REPORT: How High Drug Costs Hurt Children

Protect Our Care, MomsRising, and Little Lobbyists Release New Report As Part of Lower Rx Summer

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is kicking off week 8 of Lower Rx Summer with a report cosponsored by MomsRising and Little Lobbyists underscoring how high drug costs hurt children. Throughout the week, Protect Our Care will host events and release additional research to demonstrate the urgency for reform to bring down drug prices for children.

Remaining Theme Weeks for Lower Rx Summer
Week 8 (July 26): How High Drug Prices Hurt Children
Week 9 (August 2): Expanding Medicare Benefits—Dental, Vision, and Hearing

Children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP are more likely to have access to their prescription drugs, however, the children’s uninsured rate in states that have rejected Medicaid expansion is nearly double the rate in states that expanded the program. Between 2016 and 2019, the number of uninsured children increased by more than 700,000. The Urban Institute estimates that more than 6 million people would enroll in Medicaid if the remaining states implemented expansion, including some children who are currently eligible for the program, but would newly enroll as their parents seek coverage. 

“Nothing is more heartbreaking than a sick child, and it is unconscionable that so many families in our country can’t afford the medications their children need,” said Tasmiha Khan, Campaign Director for Health Care at MomsRising. “Lawmakers should act now to ensure that all families can access prescription drugs for their children, without being forced to sacrifice essentials or go into debt to pay for them. We need Congress to take action to reduce the cost of prescription medications now.”

“Many of our families rely on the innovation and development of life-saving medications to treat and sustain our children with complex medical needs and disabilities. Those medications, however, are only life-saving if the patient can afford them,” said Elena Hung, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Little Lobbyists. “Therefore, we call on Congress to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices so our families can access the life-saving medications our children need to survive and thrive.”

“It’s shameful that children are forced to bear the burden of Big Pharma’s profit motivations,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “American families should not have to pay three times more for the same medicines as people in other countries. Children and their families should not be put in the impossible position of choosing between paying for lifesaving drugs and paying for housing or food. It’s time to put an end to Big Pharma’s greed and give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.”

In 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3), historic legislation that would lower drug prices for all Americans. H.R. 3 would save patients over $150 billion and reduce the price of the costliest drugs by as much as 55 percent

Not only does giving Medicare the power to negotiate help patients at the pharmacy counter, but it would save the federal government $500 billion, which could be reinvested to strengthen health care. These savings could help lower premiums, expand coverage, and strengthen Medicare benefits to include hearing, vision, and dental. As the nation recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring access to affordable health care, and specifically prescription drugs, has never been more critical. 

KEY POINTS

  • Economic and racial inequity limit access to needed medications for children. One in seven children live below the federal poverty line. Factors contributing to systemic racism make children of color more than twice as likely to live in poverty. Children living in households with incomes below $40,000 per year have an increased likelihood of struggling with prescription costs. 
  • Big Pharma’s price gouging puts millions of children at risk. More than one in five children take prescription medication, many for chronic conditions. A recent report found that children zero to four are nearly five times more likely to experience anaphylaxis than their adult counterparts, but many parents are forced to send their children to school without lifesaving medications due to EpiPen price increases. 
  • Government action is essential to improving health outcomes for children. Even young children are being charged nearly three times what patients in other countries are spending on the same prescription drugs. Health coverage, specifically Medicaid and CHIP, helps shield children from pharmaceutical corporation’s price gouging, yet more than eight percent of children remain uninsured in states refusing Medicaid expansion. 

Read the new report on how high drug costs hurt children here.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, Small Business for America’s Future and Protect Our Care Call For Bringing Down Drug Prices to Help Small Businesses

Call Conveyed the Devastating Impact of High Drug Costs on Small Businesses and Need For Giving Medicare the Power to Negotiate For Lower Drug Prices

Watch the Event Here

Washington, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Small Business for America’s Future Senior Advisor Kristi Martin, and Small Business for America’s Future Small Business Council Member and small business owner Candace Combs joined Protect Our Care for a virtual press conference to discuss how high drug prices are harming small businesses. During the call, Rep. Craig and advocates conveyed the urgency for legislation to bring down drug prices so small businesses can recover from the pandemic and thrive for years to come. 

The event followed a new report from Protect Our Care and Small Business for America’s Future published as part of Week 7 of Lower Rx Summer. In June, Protect Our Care announced Lower Rx Summer as part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices. Lower Rx Summer consists of themed weeks of action to illustrate the urgent need for legislation to lower drug prices principally by giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans.

“We can address the high cost of prescription drugs – but only if we stand with Americans and small businesses instead of special interests in Washington,” said Representative Angie Craig (D-MN-02). “We must pass the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, to bring relief to small businesses and finally allow Medicare to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs for hardworking Americans.” 

“Rising prescription drug prices are a major concern for small business owners because higher prices lead to higher healthcare costs,” said Kristi Martin, Senior Advisor at Small Business for America’s Future. “In our most recent survey of over 1,000 small business owners, Small Business for America’s Future found that 55% said rising healthcare costs delayed growth opportunities for their business and 40% said they’ve had to increase prices of goods and services to keep pace with their rising healthcare costs. Without action to address these prescription drug prices, our small business recovery will continue to be held back.”

“I stand with the 85% of small business owners surveyed by Small Business for America’s Future who support allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies because I know the kind of difference it would make for my business and my employees,” said Candace Combs, Owner of Combs Business Consulting and In-Symmetry Spa and Small Business For America’s Future council member. “Small business owners are the backbone of the economy, but skyrocketing drug costs is keeping us from making the investments we need for the future. It is time our leaders had our backs and act to reign in the cost of medication.”

“The future of small businesses depends on bold action to bring down prescription drug prices,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “As drug companies hike the prices of lifesaving medications, small businesses are paying more and more for health care, forcing them to pass those costs along to workers and customers. It’s time to stand up to Big Pharma and finally give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.” 

Tortuous Path for Medicaid Expansion in Missouri Exhibit One for Why Congress Must Pass a Federal Solution to Close Coverage Gap

Supreme Court Ruling Represents Victory for Medicaid Expansion in Missouri, But Long Road Ahead Demonstrates Need for Federal Solution to Closing the Coverage Gap

Washington, DC — Yesterday, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Medicaid expansion, reversing a lower court decision rejecting the program. In August 2020, voters in Missouri approved expansion, but Republicans in the state legislature refused to fund the program, leading to a months-long legal battle. In the meantime, at least 275,000 Missourians have been denied Medicaid coverage. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“It is simply outrageous that Republicans in Missouri ignored the will of the people and denied hundreds of thousands of Missouri families access to health coverage in the middle of a global pandemic. Research shows that Medicaid expansion increases access to care, bolsters the economy, and saves lives, but Republicans would rather play political games than improve the health and well being of their constituents. Every day this process plays out is another day 275,000 Missourians are denied access to coverage. What’s happened in Missouri makes clear we cannot trust Republican-led states to do the right thing, and we need a federal solution to ensure millions of people stuck in the coverage gap finally get the coverage they need.” 

TODAY: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, State Rep. Kristina Shelton, and Wisconsin Health Care Advocates to Discuss Senator Baldwin’s Medicaid Saves Lives Act

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY JULY 23, 2021 AT 10:00 AM CT // 11:00 AM ET***

TODAY: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, State Rep. Kristina Shelton, and Wisconsin Health Care Advocates to Discuss Senator Baldwin’s Medicaid Saves Lives Act

Medicaid Saves Live Act Would Extend Coverage To Millions Of Americans, Including Wisconsinites

WISCONSIN — On Friday, July 23 at 11:00 AM ET // 10:00 AM CT, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) will discuss the Medicaid Saves Lives Act for a press conference featuring Wisconsin residents and State Rep. Kristina Shelton (Green Bay). Hosted by Protect Our Care and Citizen Action of Wisconsin, residents who have seen the cost of state failures to expand Medicaid firsthand will share their experiences.

The Medicaid Saves Lives Act was introduced last week by Senators Baldwin, Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to create a federal program to extend coverage to millions of people in states like Wisconsin that have refused Medicaid expansion.

An estimated four million uninsured adults could gain coverage if the remaining holdout states adopted expansion. In Wisconsin, the Republican state legislature’s repeated refusal to expand Medicaid has left more than 91,000 Wisconsinites without access to quality, affordable, health coverage. The state has also missed out on $1.6 billion in federal funding. 

Despite robust incentives included in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, twelve states — including Wisconsin, refuse to expand Medicaid, underscoring the need for a federal solution. The Medicaid Saves Live Act is that solution.

PRESS CALL

WHO:
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
State Rep. Kristina Shelton
Lisa Schwetschenau, health care advocate
Peggy McDowell, health care advocate

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference to Discuss the Medicaid Saves Live Act

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Friday, July 23 at  10:00 AM CT // 11:00 AM ET

PRESS CALL: U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, Small Business for America’s Future and Protect Our Care to Highlight Impact of High Drug Prices on Small Businesses

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY, JULY 23 AT 1:00 PM ET // 12:00 PM CT***

PRESS CALL: U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, Small Business for America’s Future and Protect Our Care to Highlight Impact of High Drug Prices on Small Businesses

Call Will Convey Urgent Need To Stand Up To Big Pharma And Give Medicare the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Prices 

Washington, D.C. On Friday, July 23 at 1:00 PM ET // 12:00 PM CT, U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Kristi Martin, Senior Advisor for Small Business for America’s Future, and Candace Combs, owner of Combs Business Consulting and In-Symmetry Spa and Small Business for America’s Future Small Business Council Member, will join Protect Our Care for a virtual press conference to discuss how high drug prices are harming small businesses. The event comes after Protect Our Care released a report co-sponsored by Small Business for America’s Future as part of Week 7 of Lower Rx Summer

In June, Protect Our Care announced Lower Rx Summer as part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices. Lower Rx Summer consists of themed weeks of action to illustrate the urgent need for legislation to lower drug prices principally by giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans. 

In the coming months, President Biden and members of Congress have an unprecedented opportunity to finally take action to lower drug prices. In 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3), historic legislation that would lower drug prices for all Americans. H.R. 3 would save patients over $150 billion and reduce the price of the costliest drugs by as much as 55 percent. Negotiation would also raise revenue for businesses and reduce employer provided health insurance costs. Lowering drug prices would help small businesses recover from the pandemic and thrive for years to come. 

PRESS CALL:

WHO:
U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN-02)
Kristi Martin, Senior Advisor, Small Business for America’s Future
Candace Combs, Owner of Combs Business Consulting and In-Symmetry Spa and Small Business for America’s Future Small Business Council Member
Brad Woodhouse, Executive Director of Protect Our Care

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference to Highlight Impact of High Drug Prices on Small Businesses

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Friday, July 23 at 1:00 PM ET // 12:00 PM CT

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Former Biden COVID-19 Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt, Medical Experts and Protect Our Care Debunk Dangerous COVID-19 Disinformation

Watch the Event Here

Washington, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), former Biden administration senior advisor and former Obama Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, and family physician and public health expert Dr. Jeff Huebner joined Defend The Science for a virtual press conference to counter the COVID-19 disinformation that is endangering millions of Americans and discuss the efforts of the Biden administration to put an end to the pandemic. 

With the highly-contagious Delta variant on the rise, unvaccinated people of all ages are becoming seriously ill and dying from the virus as many Republican leaders are actively undermining vaccination efforts and spreading dangerous conspiracy theories. Today’s event follows Tuesday’s hearing by the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), where Republican Senators Rand Paul and Roger Marshall attacked public health experts and repeated conspiracy theories to cover for the Trump Administration’s disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“As the Delta variant surges, getting vaccinated could mean life or death for many Americans. That’s why we must stop the dangerous disinformation and attacks on our scientists – including Dr. Fauci – that are ultimately threatening Americans’ lives, undermining our public health experts, and inhibiting our nation’s recovery from the pandemic. We’ve got to continue to call out wild accusations and conspiracy theories when we see them and work overtime to deliver the facts to the American people,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).  

“There’s never been a greater time for all of us to pull together. This is exactly what the President is asking the country to do and exactly what he’s trying to do,” said Andy Slavitt, former CMS Administrator and former COVID-19 senior advisor under the Biden administration. “We have a tool that can stop it, and that should give us great comfort. So the people that are getting sick, going to the hospital, and dying in 2021, this is almost entirely preventable.”

“We are in a very, very worrisome phase right now. We have obviously made important strides against this virus, but unfortunately our efforts have slowed and our rollout of vaccines is meeting tremendous amounts of resistance that is setting us back farther than we need to be,” said Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, DrPH, SM, at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “The vast majority of anti-vaccination content on the internet stems from 12 personalities who are making a tremendous amount of money off of spreading lies — it’s a more than a $36 million industry. They are making money, but people are dying.”

“We’re at a point in this pandemic, due to the miraculous vaccines that we have, where nearly every death is preventable,” said Dr. Jeff Huebner, MD, a family medicine physician in Madison, WI. “More people will die tragically and we’re not going to be able to get back to our jobs and our schools with the same confidence we would if people were vaccinated.”

“As COVID-19 cases spike across the country, hospitals are once again becoming overwhelmed and Americans are needlessly dying of a now preventable disease,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Republicans should be doing everything in their power to get shots in arms and put an end to this crisis, but instead they are spreading disinformation and fueling vaccine hesitancy. We must reverse course, defend the science and ensure that Americans get vaccinated before it’s too late.” 

NEW AD: Protect Our Care Launches Second NJ Ad in Seven-Figure Campaign Featuring Patient Who Needs Action to Lower Drug Prices

“Parth” Is Running on Digital Platforms Statewide

Watch the 30-Second Ad Here

Watch the 15-Second Ad Here

New Jersey — Protect Our Care launched its second digital ad in New Jersey as part of its seven-figure ad campaign about prescription drug prices. The ad features Parth, a patient from New Jersey whose daughter has diabetes. Her family has been forced to put off making vital repairs to her home to ensure her daughter can get the insulin she needs to survive. In the ad, Parth tells her personal story of struggling to afford lifesaving prescriptions and relays the importance of giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans. 

The ad is part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices, a grassroots and communications campaign calling for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices. The ad is running on digital platforms, focusing particularly on older New Jerseyans. Protect Our Care will continue to run ads and host events both nationally and in 14 key states, including New Jersey, throughout the summer.

“Parth and her daughter’s story is all too familiar in New Jersey and across the country,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “While drug companies spend billions on stock buybacks, raise executive pay, and continue to hike the price of drugs, millions of Americans are forced to choose between affording the medicines they need to survive or paying for essentials. Americans should not have to pay two or three times more for their medicines than people in other countries. It’s time for New Jersey lawmakers to do the right thing and support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. The time to act is now.”

Script for “Parth” (:30s):

My daughter was diagnosed at age three with type 1 diabetes.

If my daughter doesn’t get insulin she could go into diabetic ketoacidosis which can result in coma or death.

Drug companies keep raising prices of prescription drugs.

We have had to prioritize paying for her medications.

We have a broken tub and we can’t fix it.

That’s just things we don’t do right now.

We have to let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices. It’s time for Congress to act.

Script for “Parth” (:15s):

My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Drug companies keep raising prices.

We have a broken tub and we can’t fix it.

We have had to prioritize paying for her medications.

We have to let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices.

TODAY: State Elected Officials and Health Care Storytellers Call for Congressional Action to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2021***

TODAY: State Elected Officials and Health Care Storytellers Call for Congressional Action to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

Washington, DC — On Wednesday, July 21, state elected officials along with health care advocates and storytellers will join Protect Our Care for events to emphasize the impact of high prescription drug prices and to call for Congress to take action on this urgent issue.

In 2019, House Democrats passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3), bold legislation to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug costs — the single most effective measure to bring down drug prices. In April, House Democrats reintroduced this legislation, giving Congress another opportunity to lower prescription drug costs and meet the demands of voters.

This summer, Protect Our Care launched The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices with an ad running on television nationally and digitally in 12 key states to demonstrate the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices.

WEDNESDAY

NEW HAMPSHIRE

WHO:
State Sen. Tom Sherman
Kayla Montgomery, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Heather Stockwell, Rights and DemocracyNH
Stacey Smith, health care advocate

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Wednesday, July 21 at 10:00 AM ET

ARIZONA

WHO:
State Rep. Melody Hernandez
Dr. Gabrielle Goodrick, health care advocate
Angie Taylor, Arizona patient

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Wednesday, July 21, at 1:00 PM ET // 10:00 AM AT

PRESS CALL: U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Former Biden COVID-19 Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt, Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo (Johns Hopkins), Dr. Jeff Huebner, Protect Our Care Will Counter Flood of COVID-19 Disinformation

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 21 AT 1:30 PM ET // 12:30 PM CT***

PRESS CALL: U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Former Biden COVID-19 Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt, Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo (Johns Hopkins), Dr. Jeff Huebner, Protect Our Care Will Counter Flood of COVID-19 Disinformation

Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, July 21 at 1:30 PM ET // 12:30 PM CT, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), former Obama and Biden administration advisor and former acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt, Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, senior scholar and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Dr. Jeff Huebner, a public health expert and family physician from Madison, Wisconsin; and Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach will hold a virtual press conference with Defend the Science to counter the disinformation and wacky conspiracy theories that are endangering millions of Americans and discuss the efforts of the Biden administration.

Right now, coordinated disinformation efforts from Republicans like unvaccinated Senator Rand Paul and Congressman Jim Jordan have led to vaccine hesitancy among millions of Americans and causing unnecessary deaths, despite widespread availability of the vaccine. As the Delta variant becomes dominant in the world and thousands of younger, unvaccinated Americans are becoming sick with this new strain of Covid-19, the time is now to end the disinformation that is keeping 37% of American adults unvaccinated. 

At Tuesday’s hearing of the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Republican Senators Rand Paul and Roger Marshall repeated ridiculous conspiracy theories to cover for the Trump Administration’s disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. They want to shift blame to public health experts who are leading us out of the crisis, like Dr. Anthony Fauci. In the process, they are threatening the lives of far too many Americans. 

PRESS CALL:

WHO:
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Andy Slavitt, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and senior advisor to the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator
Jennifer Nuzzo, DrPH, SM, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Jeff Huebner, MD, practicing family physician from Madison, Wisconsin, and Board of Directors, Doctors for America
Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference to Counter Flood of COVID-19 Disinformation

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Wednesday, July 21 at 1:30 PM ET // 12:30 PM CT