News

“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.

***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

Protect Our Care Announces 19-State Tour In August

Care Force One’s “Lower Cost, Better Care” Bus Tour Will Travel From Maine to California Advocating for Lower Drug Prices and Lower Premiums, Expanded Health Care Coverage and Benefits In the ACA, Medicaid and Medicare 

Washington, D.C. — Throughout the August Congressional recess, Protect Our Care will be running its third nationwide bus tour to demonstrate the urgent need for lowering health costs, expanding coverage, and reducing racial disparities in care. Kicking off in Bangor, Maine, on August 9th, Care Force One’s “Lower Cost, Better Care” bus tour will travel throughout the Northeast before making stops across the Midwest and Southeast, and concluding with stops on the West Coast.   

Care Force One will roll into key districts and states for events with Members of Congress, local elected officials, health care advocates and storytellers to ensure critical health care measures supported by President Biden remain in upcoming budget reconciliation legislation. Specifically, Protect Our Care is fighting to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans, create a federal solution to close the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare benefits to include vision, dental and hearing, and make permanent the premium reductions included in the American Rescue Plan so millions of people can continue to access low-cost coverage.

The tour will promote the work of President Biden and dozens of Democratic lawmakers who are leading the charge to advance American health care and hold Republicans accountable for continuing to reject measures to improve care and lower costs for the American people. Protect Our Care will ensure Americans know if their elected officials are working for the American people or if they are working to protect health care industry profits. 

“While Members of Congress go home to their districts this August recess, they’re going to have a chance to show their constituents whether they stand by President Biden’s agenda to improve health care for millions or if they side with Big Pharma and other special interests,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Throughout this tour, Americans from all walks of life will speak out about the pressing need to lower prescription drug prices, close the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare benefits to include hearing, dental, and vision, and further reduce health costs for people purchasing coverage on their own. When Congress returns this fall, we have a once in a generation opportunity to transform health care for the American people, and Care Force One will crisscross the country this summer making the case for getting this critical job done.” 

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One will make stops in:
Bangor, Maine on Monday, August 9, 2021
Portland, Maine on Monday, August 9, 2021
Burlington, Vermont on Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Manchester, New Hampshire on Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Concord, New Hampshire on Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Teaneck, New Jersey on Thursday, August 12, 2021
Allentown, Pennsylvania on Thursday, August 12, 2021
New York, New York on Friday, August 13, 2021
New Brunswick, New Jersey on Monday, August 16, 2021
Scranton, Pennsylvania on Monday, August 16, 2021
Burlington County, New Jersey on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Dover, Delaware on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Morgantown, West Virginia on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Youngstown, Ohio on Thursday, August 19, 2021
Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, August 19, 2021
Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, August 20, 2021
Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, August 20, 2021
Parkersburg, West Virginia on Monday, August 23, 2021
Charleston, West Virginia on Monday, August 23, 2021
Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Columbia, South Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Savannah, Georgia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Orlando, Florida on Thursday, August 26, 2021
Tampa, Florida on Thursday, August 26, 2021
Denver, Colorado on Monday, August 30, 2021
Flagstaff, Arizona on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday, September 1, 2021
San Diego, California on Thursday, September 2, 2021
Anaheim, California on Thursday, September 2, 2021
Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 3, 2021

By the Numbers: What Democratic Health Care Priorities Would Mean for Americans

• Lowering Prescription Drug Prices. 53 percent of American adults, or roughly 130 million people, take prescription drugs in the U.S. and stand to benefit from legislation to lower drug prices. Allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices would save patients $158 billion at the pharmacy counter. Nine in 10 Americans support legislation to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. 
• Closing The Coverage Gap. More than 2 million Americans living in the 12 holdout states would have access to affordable, quality health coverage through Medicaid expansion. People of color make up 60 percent of those living in the health insurance coverage gap.
• Expanding Coverage. 4.2 million uninsured people would gain coverage if the American Rescue Plan’s subsidies are made permanent, and millions more would continue to save on health care costs. 
• Expanding Medicare To Include Dental, Vision, and Hearing. Nearly 38 million traditional Medicare enrollees would gain dental, vision, and hearing coverage. Due to lack of coverage, nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries did not seek dental care in the past year, with people of color, individuals with low-incomes, and residents of rural areas experiencing the lowest access. 

“Angie” Is Running on Digital Platforms Statewide

Watch the 30-Second Ad Here

Watch the 15-Second Ad Here

Arizona — Protect Our Care recently launched its second digital ad in Arizona as part of a seven-figure ad campaign about prescription drug prices. The ad features Angie, a patient storyteller from Phoenix who has difficulty paying for prescription drugs that keep her alive after a major heart attack. In the ad, Angie 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 Arizonans. Protect Our Care will continue to run ads and host events both nationally and in 14 key states, including Arizona, throughout the summer.

“Angie’s story is all too familiar in Arizona 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 paying for the medicines they need to live or paying for food or rent. Americans should not have to pay two or three times more for their medicines than people in other countries. It’s time for Arizona 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 “Angie” (:30s):

I just got out of the hospital with this widowmaker heart attack.

This huge event that is devastating financially for me.

And I just remembered the most important drug that I have to take was over $600 

and I was like, “am I going to have to pay this every single month?”

Families can’t even afford their prescription for life-saving drugs.

We need to lower drug prices for everyone.

Script for “Angie” (:15s):

I just got out of the hospital with this widowmaker heart attack 

and the most important drug that I have to take was over $600 

and I was like, “am I going to have to pay this every single month?”

We need to lower drug prices for everyone.

Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that two million Americans have signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces during President Biden’s special enrollment period. The Biden administration opened the SEP to ensure people could get coverage as they faced economic hardship and job loss as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Importantly, many of the new enrollees have been able to take advantage of the dramatic savings under the American Rescue Plan, with more than a third of new and returning enrollees selecting plans for $10 or less per month. Coverage of this historic enrollment period makes it clear that the wave of signups are a direct result of the American Rescue Plan’s provisions to dramatically reduce premiums costs. 

HEADLINES:

The Hill: More Than 2 Million Sign Up During Obamacare Special Enrollment Period. “A total of 1.5 million Americans have enrolled in coverage through HealthCare.gov throughout the special signup period, while another 600,000 have signed up through the 15 state-based marketplaces, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.” [7/14/21]

New York Times: Obamacare Enrollments Have Risen By 2 Million, Reaching A Record High, Since Biden Reopened Them In February. “The increases reflect a growing demand for insurance coverage during the pandemic, when many Americans lost job-based coverage or became more worried about remaining uninsured. But they also reflect major policy changes this year: Congress passed legislation that substantially lowered the price of insurance for nearly all Americans buying their own coverage.” [7/14/21]

HuffPost: Obamacare Marketplace Sign-Ups Pass 2 Million, Likely Pushing Down Uninsured Rate. “That figure means total marketplace enrollment is probably at an all-time high, while the number of uninsured Americans may be at an all-time low. In both cases, a big reason would be a set of temporary improvements to the Affordable Care Act that Biden and Democrats are now trying to make permanent.” [7/14/21]

Roll Call: HHS 2 Million People Choose Health Plans During Enrollment Period. “Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure told reporters the agency doesn’t have updated numbers of the total number of people enrolled in marketplace plans, but she called it a “fair assumption” that marketplace enrollment is at an all-time high.” [7/14/21]

CNN: More Than 2 Million Americans Sign Up For Affordable Care Act Coverage Under Biden’s Special Enrollment Period. “Some 1.5 million people have signed up on the federal exchange, healthcare.gov, while more than 600,000 have selected policies in the 14 states and the District of Columbia that run their own exchanges. In addition, among new and returning consumers who have selected a plan since April 1, some 1.2 million, or 34%, picked policies that cost $10 or less per month when factoring in the enhanced premium subsidies made available by the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. About 2.5 million enrollees have returned to the exchange to see what’s available.” [7/14/21]

Reuters: Over Two Million Americans Sign Up For Obamacare Under Biden Drive. “About 1.5 million Americans opted to sign up for insurance on U.S. government website Healthcare.gov while 600,000 more enrolled in coverage through the 15 state-based marketplaces.” [7/14/21]

Becker’s Hospital Review: ACA Special Enrollment Exceeds 2 Million. “The majority of enrollees used healthcare.gov (1.5 million) while the rest (600,000) used a state marketplace. Both numbers are sure to grow as the SEP spans through Aug. 15, but Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program membership are at a record-high 81 million.” [7/14/21]

MSNBC (Maddow Blog): Biden’s ACA Special Enrollment Period Reaches 2 Million Americans. “Some will see their premiums cut in half, while millions will see their premiums fall to literally zero, thanks entirely to the investments in the American Rescue Plan. That’s working well, too: the Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that after the new ACA benefits kicked in on April 1, nearly 2 million consumers — who already had coverage — returned to the marketplace and reduced their monthly premiums.” [7/14/21]

Call Comes After New Report Outlines Urgent Need for Federal Approach to Provide Relief to Millions of People Who Have Been Locked Out of Coverage

Listen to the Call Here

Atlanta, GA — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined Georgia health care advocates and storytellers and Protect Our Care to discuss the Medicaid Saves Lives Act — the Senator’s historic legislation to create a federal program to extend coverage to millions of people stuck in the coverage gap in states that have refused Medicaid expansion.

An estimated four million uninsured adults could gain coverage if the remaining holdout states adopted expansion. Importantly, people of color make up nearly 60 percent of this group. In Georgia, 275,000 adults in the coverage gap would be eligible for coverage through Medicaid expansion.

“Expanding Medicaid is the single most effective solution to closing our state’s coverage gap. I introduced the Medicaid Saves Lives Act to make this solution real,” said U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “Expanding Medicaid in Georgia would extend health care coverage to nearly 500,000 low income Georgians, improve health outcomes, create tens of thousands of jobs, and bolster our rural hospitals. I’m going to keep pushing as hard as I can to pass this critical provision in the next economic package.”

“The Medicaid Saves Lives Act would build a bridge over the coverage gap, allowing 2.2 million Americans to newly and meaningfully take part in our health care system,” said Laura Colbert, the Executive Director, Georgians for a Healthy Future. “This move would reduce racial disparities in health care, prevent cancer deaths, improve maternal health outcomes, and strengthen economies across the South. All of these benefits will accrue to a greater extent in rural communities.”

“I am proud and thankful for Senator Warnock’s leadership in introducing the Medicaid Saves Lives Act. Closing the Medicaid coverage gap will profoundly improve health care access in this country, said Nedra Fortson, a nurse practitioner who runs a free health care clinic in Albany, Georgia. “At Samaritan Clinic, we have seen these Coverage Gap scenarios play out over the past 14 years, but the Medicaid Saves Lives Act gives me hope that soon our communities will be able to expand the health care access that we desperately need.”

“Waiting for Georgia and the eleven other states that have refused to expand Medicaid to do the right thing is no longer a viable option,” said Protect Our Care Georgia State Director Joe Binns. “Senator Warnock and Congressional Democrats are stepping up to the plate, and leading with a bold new approach for the federal government to close the expansion gap, and Congress must take action now to make it a reality. Georgians, and millions of uninsured people across the country have waited long enough.”

You can listen to the call audio here, and learn more about how the Medicaid program can save lives and improve health outcomes in Georgia by reading this new report from Protect Our Care.

Two Million People Have Signed Up for ACA Coverage Since February

Washington, DC — Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that two million Americans have signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces since President Biden opened a special enrollment period in February. Importantly, many of these enrollees have been able to take advantage of the dramatic savings under the American Rescue Plan, with more than a third of new and returning enrollees selecting plans for $10 or less per month. Americans can continue to enroll in ACA coverage through August 15. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“Two million more Americans have health care because Joe Biden is our president. The message is clear: after years of Republican attacks on our health care, Democrats are committed to expanding and improving care for all Americans. Now, Congress has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on the success of the ACA and lower the cost of prescription drugs, expand Medicare benefits, and close the Medicaid coverage gap. These essential measures are included in the agreement made by Senate Democrats on the forthcoming budget resolution and have strong support from President Biden — a true health care champion. As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, it is imperative that we make health care better, more accessible and more affordable for all Americans.”