News

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]

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 AT 2 PM CT // 3 PM ET***

While the Biden Administration Fights for Wisconsinites to Save Money on their Medications, Republicans Want to Raise Health Care Costs

Milwaukee, WI – On Wednesday, October 25 at 2:00 PM CT, 3:00 PM ET, U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (WI-04) and Milwaukee area health care advocates will join Protect Our Care Wisconsin to discuss how Medicare negotiations will lower prescription drug costs for Wisconsinites. The Biden administration announced the first 10 drugs that will have lower prices negotiated by Medicare under the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed by Democrats last year. Earlier this month, all 10 companies entered into agreements with Medicare to kickstart the negotiation process to lower costs for seniors.  

Speakers will discuss what this means for Wisconsinites and how lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs remain central to the Inflation Reduction Act’s popularity, and the importance of protecting these policies. 

This event comes as Republicans and drug companies are trying to derail health care policies that will bring down costs. Pharmaceutical companies are suing the federal government to protect their massive profits by halting the measure passed in the Inflation Reduction Act that empowers Medicare to negotiate drug prices while Republicans are attempting to repeal it. President Biden and Democrats in Congress are already working to expand these cost savings to more Americans, no matter what age they are or how they get their health insurance. If the GOP gets their way, they would throw millions of people off of Medicaid, keep drug costs high for seniors, and make health care coverage more expensive for families purchasing coverage on their own through the Affordable Care Act. 

WHO: U.S. Representative Gwen Moore & Milwaukee area health care advocates

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2:00 PM CT // 3:00 PM ET

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

###

Novartis announced it raked in $11.78 billion this quarter – a $1.29 billion increase over last year – during their earnings report today. While they make billions, Americans pay exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs. Novartis opposed the Biden administration reforms that lower prescription drug prices. 

• During the call, CFO Harry Kirsch bragged about the company’s enormous growth saying, “core operating income is up 21 percent in quarter three… mainly driven by sales and savings from the ongoing [increasing] productivity.” 
• Novartis announced that it has initiated the $15 billion stock buyback it announced in July 2023.
• Novartis 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

New Navigator polling reveals that voters view lowering drug costs as President Biden’s top accomplishment. The poll specifically named giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug costs and capping insulin costs for seniors at $35 per month, which were both included in the Inflation Reduction Act. These policies enjoy widespread, bipartisan support: according to Navigator, “lowering prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices is President Biden’s most supported accomplishment, earning support from over three in four Americans (77 percent), including 71 percent of independents and 64 percent of Republicans.”

Protect Our Care recently launched the Medicare Autumn campaign to educate seniors about new benefits that will help them save on their prescription drugs thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress. Read more here.

In addition to finding broad support for President Biden’s action to lower drug costs, the poll also found that Americans are hearing most about this accomplishment when compared to other policy achievements. A majority of Americans (57%) have heard of his success in lowering drug prices through Medicare negotiation and capping insulin costs.

Protect Our Care launched a new campaign, “Medicare Autumn,” to educate seniors on how Medicare is better than ever. Thanks to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program included in the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare now has the ability to negotiate drug prices to lower costs for seniors on Medicare. The Biden administration recently announced the first round of high-cost drugs whose prices will come down from negotiation. This includes some of the highest-priced prescription drugs used to treat conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, chronic kidney disease, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis – many of which disproportionately impact women, communities of color, and people in rural areas. 

For too long, Americans have been paying three to four times more than people in other countries for the prescription drugs they depend on, forcing people to choose between filling a prescription or filling their refrigerator. Giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies will help bring the price of medicines in the U.S. more in line with what other countries pay.

The impact of lower prescription drug costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act will be felt by people across the country. Negotiating lower prices on certain popular high-cost drugs will help:

• 3,505,000 Americans who pay an average of $441 out-of-pocket per year for Eliquis, sold by Bristol Myers Squibb, to treat blood clots.
• 47,000 Americans who pay an average of $921 out-of-pocket per year for Enbrel, sold by Amgen, to treat arthritis and psoriasis. 
• 521,000 Americans who pay an average of $357 out-of-pocket per year for Entresto, sold by Novartis, to treat heart failure. 
• 639,000 Americans who pay an average of $260 out-of-pocket per year for Farxiga, sold by AstraZeneca to treat diabetes.
• 763,000 Americans who pay an average of $121 out-of-pocket per year for Fiasp/NovoLog, sold by Novo Nordisk, to treat diabetes. 
• 22,000 Americans who pay an average of $5,247 out-of-pocket per year for Imbruvica, sold by AbbVie, to treat blood cancers. 
• 885,000 Americans who pay an average of $270 out-of-pocket per year for Januvia, sold by Merck, to treat diabetes. 
• 1,321,000 Americans who pay an average of $290 out-of-pocket per year for Jardiance, sold by Boehringer Ingelheim, to treat diabetes. 
• 20,000 Americans who pay an average of $2,058 out-of-pocket per year for Stelara, sold by Johnson & Johnson, to treat psoriasis and Crohn’s disease.
• 1,311,000 Americans who pay an average of $451 out-of-pocket per year for Xarelto, sold by Johnson & Johnson, to treat blood clots.

Drug Price Negotiation Improves Other Medicare Benefits. As a result of Medicare negotiation negotiations, Americans with Medicare will have access to innovative, life-saving treatments at lower prices, translating into lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs for older Americans and producing savings that are being used to improve benefits, including: 

• a new $35 cap on monthly insulin prescriptions; 
• free recommended vaccines;
• a $2,000 annual cap on prescription drug costs taking effect in 2025.

The First 10 Drugs Are Just The Beginning. Negotiations will occur over the coming year and new, lower prices will be announced by September 1, 2024, and take effect in 2026. The first ten drugs that will see lower prices are responsible for about 20% of total Medicare Part D prescription drug costs every year. The companies that market them have made more than $493 billion in revenue from these drugs. Medicare will negotiate lower prices for an additional 15 drugs for prices effective in 2027, and by 2029, Medicare will negotiate lower prices for 20 drugs per year. And President Biden and Democrats in Congress are already working to expand these cost savings to more Americans, no matter what age they are or how they get their health coverage. 

Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Is Overwhelmingly Popular. Negotiating lower prices is overwhelmingly popular across the country, yet big drug companies are suing the federal government to protect their massive profits by halting the program. A recent Hart Research poll shows that 96 percent of Americans agree that lowering drug prices “is an important way to help people afford the cost of living,” and nearly three-quarters of Americans favor Medicare negotiation. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies’ arguments against negotiation are overwhelmingly rejected by the American people.

Big Drug Companies Are Threatening To Keep Drug Prices High Through The Courts. Drug company giants including Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson-owned Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, and Novartis, as well as mega lobbying groups PhRMA and the US Chamber of Commerce, have sued the federal government in an effort to stop Medicare from negotiating for lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. If the big drug companies get their way patients will pay more so the drug companies can make more money:

• GONE: Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prices for the most popular and expensive prescription drugs. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare is set to begin negotiating prices for 10 of the top 50 most expensive Part D drugs in 2026, adding another 15 drugs in 2027 and 2028, and another 20 in 2029 and subsequent years.
• GONE: $98.6 billion in Medicare savings over the next decade from the drug negotiation program, which translates into savings for patients and taxpayers.
• GONE: Lower Part D premiums and lower out-of-pocket drug costs for certain Medicare beneficiaries who rely on qualifying drugs.

The plaintiffs assert several sweeping claims, including under the First Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Eighth Amendment across the lawsuits, but experts agree that these meritless arguments are merely an attempt to maintain the status quo where drug companies can protect their massive profits by charging whatever they want at the expense of patients and taxpayers.

Lieutenant Governor, HHS Regional Directors, State and City Officials Will Headline Events in Four States to Educate Seniors About Lower Vaccine and Drug Prices

Watch All Tour Stops Live Here.

Washington, D.C. — On the first week of the “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour, Protect Our Care’s Medicare-A-Van will make stops in four states to educate seniors across the nation about new Medicare benefits thanks to legislation signed into law last year by President Biden. Headlining events are Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, HHS Regional Directors Dara Kass and Michael Cabonargi, New York State Senators John Mannion and James Skoufis, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, Syracuse City Council President Helen Hudson, and Westchester County Executive George Latimer. 

As seniors begin to enroll in their 2024 Medicare plans, they could save thousands of dollars on their vaccine and 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 the new cost-saving benefits for seniors on Medicare in the Inflation Reduction Act, including: 

• Medicare negotiation for lower drug prices 
• A $35 monthly cap on insulin 
• Free shingles and other essential vaccinations
• $2,000 out-of-pocket caps on prescription drugs beginning
• Drug companies can no longer raise prices faster than the rate of inflation

For more information on why “Medicare is Better Than Ever,” read more here. 

MONDAY

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK:
WHO:
State Senator John Mannion
Syracuse Common Council President Helen Hudson
Alex Marion, Syracuse City Auditor-Elect
Bill Spreter, President of the NYS Chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans

WHERE: Syracuse City Hall, 233 E Washington St, Syracuse, NY 13202

WHEN: Monday, October 23, 2023, at 10:00 AM ET

NEW WINDSOR, NEW YORK:
WHO:
State Senator James Skoufis

WHERE: Marasco Senior Center at the New Windsor Town Hall Complex, 555 Union Ave, New Windsor, NY 12553

WHEN: Monday, October 23, 2023, at 3:00 PM ET

TUESDAY

WESTCHESTER, NEW YORK:
WHO:
County Executive George Latimer
HHS Regional Director Dara Kass

WHERE: Theodore D. Young Community Center, 32 Manhattan Ave, White Plains, NY 10607

WHEN: Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 11:45 AM ET

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA:
WHO:
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti
Lori Hart, owner of Sheeley’s Drug Store
Barbara Richel, storyteller 

WHERE: Sheeley’s Drug Store, 539 Linden St, Scranton, PA 18503

WHEN: Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 4:00 PM ET

WEDNESDAY

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA:
WHO:
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis
Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams
County Commissioner George Hartwick
State Representative Patty Kim
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Senior Advisor Kristi Martin

WHERE: Heinz-Menaker Senior Center, 1824 N 4th St, Harrisburg, PA 17102

WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 12:00 PM ET

THURSDAY

FLINT, MICHIGAN:
WHO:
HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi
Jim Malinowski, President & CEO of Genesee Health Plan
Alyson Ramos, Regional Coordinator of Valley Area Agency on Aging

WHERE: Brennan Senior Center, 1301 Pingree Ave, Flint, MI 48503

WHEN: Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 10:30 AM ET

LANSING, MICHIGAN:
WHO:
HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi
Sue Thuma, Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program Coordinator of Tri-County Office on Aging
Raj Wiener, storyteller

WHERE: Michigan State Capitol, 100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933

WHEN: Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 1:30 PM ET

FRIDAY

MADISON, WISCONSIN:
WHO:
HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Senior Advisor Kristi Martin
Sandy Drew, storyteller

WHERE: Goodman Community Center, 214 Waubesa St, Madison, WI 53704

WHEN: Friday, October 27, 2023, at 11:00 AM ET // 10:00 AM CT

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN:
WHO:
HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Senior Advisor Kristi Martin
Nancy Koch, storyteller

WHERE: Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W Vliet Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208

WHEN: Friday, October 27, 2023, at 3:00 PM ET // 2:00 pm CT

Seniors Will Save in 2024 Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act: Lower Drug Costs, Monthly Insulin Cost Cap, and Free Vaccines 

Medicare open enrollment began on October 15 and runs through December 7. Millions of seniors will begin selecting their coverage for 2024. It is important that seniors understand the savings available to them as they make decisions about enrolling in a Medicare plan.

As Medicare beneficiaries review plans for 2024, seniors will see new benefits thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s measures to drive down drug costs. As they did during the 2023 Medicare open enrollment, seniors will see lower premiums for prescription drug coverage. As of January 1, 2023, critical vaccines are now free, monthly insulin costs are capped at $35 per prescription, and drug companies cannot take advantage of seniors by raising drug prices faster than the rate of inflation. Additionally, in the years ahead, Medicare beneficiaries will see lower drug prices across the board thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s provisions to give Medicare the power to negotiate and cap out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year. This translates to thousands of dollars in savings for millions of seniors and people with disabilities nationwide. 

BY THE NUMBERS: Seniors Will Pay Less for Health Care

The Inflation Reduction Act is drastically reducing the cost of prescription drugs for the more than 50 million Americans enrolled in Medicare’s Part D drug benefit, reducing racial, income, and geographic disparities in health care, and saving lives. Seniors will no longer have to choose between paying for the drugs they need and other essentials like food and housing.

By the Numbers:

• Over 50 million Medicare beneficiaries no longer face big drug companies’ outrageous price hikes that exceed inflation. 
• All Medicare Part D beneficiaries have access to covered vaccines, such as shingles and pneumonia, at no cost.
• No Medicare beneficiary pays more than $35 a month for an insulin copay.
• Over 50 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries will have out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs capped at $2,000 per year beginning in 2025. 
• Lower prices are being negotiated for the first 10 drugs selected for the Negotiation Program, with more drugs to be named each year. The first ten drugs are Eliquis, Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara, and Fiasp/NovoLog.
• Premiums for the average Medicare Part D plan are decreasing by 1.8 percent in 2024.

The Inflation Reduction Act Lowers Prescription Drug Prices

Medicare Negotiation For Lower Drug Prices. The Biden administration is implementing the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program which is supported by over 80 percent of Americans — the most popular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act. In August, the first round of high-cost drugs that will be negotiated was announced: Eliquis, Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara, and Fiasp/ NovoLog. These high-cost drugs treat conditions like cancer, diabetes, and blood clots. 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.  The negotiated prices will be effective starting in 2026. 

Game-Changer For Insulin-Dependent Seniors. In 2020, there were more than 3.2 million insulin users with Medicare, with nearly 1.7 million purchasing their insulin without low-income subsidies. On average, seniors with Medicare Part D or B 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. Patients who suffer chronic complications can expect to pay upwards of an additional $650 per year. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, insulin copays for people on Medicare are capped at $35 per prescription each month. A recent study showed that 1.5 million people on Medicare would have saved an average of $500 in 2020 from the $35 insulin copay cap.

Ends Outrageous Price Increases For Seniors. The Inflation Reduction Act penalized drug companies for raising drug prices faster than the rate of inflation starting at the beginning of 2023. An analysis by KFF showed that half of all drugs covered by Medicare had list price increases exceeding the rate of inflation in 2020. For example, Humira, a medication commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, is one of the nation’s highest revenue-generating drugs, raking in $21 billion in sales in 2019. AbbVie, Humira’s manufacturer, has hiked the price of Humira 27 times, including in January 2021 when it raised its cost by 7.4 percent. Over the past 20 years, price increases for brand-name drugs in Medicare Part D have risen at more than twice the rate of inflation. 

Free Shingles Vaccinations. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, 50.5 million seniors are eligible for no-cost shingles vaccinations. In 2020, nearly 4 million Medicare beneficiaries received the two-part shingles vaccination. With a single shot of Shingrix costing $212, seniors on Medicare Part D are saving over $400 on average on vaccinations in 2023. The high out-of-pocket cost of the shingles vaccine has been a key factor in low vaccination rates, especially among Black and Latino communities. This extends an important affordable preventive service to seniors on Medicare; Americans with private insurance could already typically receive shingles vaccinations at no cost.