News

President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders joined forces at the White House Wednesday to celebrate the progress made on lowering drug costs on inhalers and insulin. At the event, Democratic leaders highlighted lower prescription drug savings for 27 million people across the country who have asthma. The vast majority of Americans will pay no more than $35 for an inhaler at the pharmacy thanks to the work of Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act capped seniors’ insulin costs at $35 per month, prompting some companies to extend these savings to the entire market. This marks the latest of Democratic achievements to rein in big drug company greed and lower prices for the American people. 

President Biden also laid out a vision for the future of American health care, highlighting priorities to extend savings put in place by the Inflation Reduction Act to everyone. In addition to insulin caps, the landmark law caps seniors’ total out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year, stops price hikes outpacing inflation, makes vaccines available for free, and lowers premium costs for people purchasing coverage on their own. Right now, the Biden administration is negotiating with drug companies for lower prices under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Negotiation Program. 

HEADLINES

Reuters: Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders Push Companies To Cut Cost Of Asthma Inhalers, Prescription Drugs. “President Joe Biden hosted a White House event with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to tout their fight against high prescription drug prices and push companies to cut the cost of inhalers for asthma sufferers. […] The Biden administration has sought to crack down on what it calls falsely claimed patents in an effort to increase competition to lower inhaler costs. The president also highlighted successful efforts included in 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act that placed a $35 cap on insulin. He also pushed to increase the number of Medicare drugs the federal government can negotiate with pharmaceutical companies from 10 to 50. Part of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate prices for prescription drugs that had been particularly expensive for the federal healthcare insurance program that covers millions of Americans aged 65 and older, as well as the disabled.” [Reuters, 4/3/24]

AP News: Biden And Sen. Bernie Sanders Join Forces To Promote Lower Health Care Costs, Including For Inhalers. “President Joe Biden teamed up with Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to promote his administration’s efforts to lower the cost of inhalers and other health care needs, as the White House continues its effort to highlight Biden’s legislative achievements to voters ahead of the November elections. […] Both men touted the lower health care costs that come through the Democrats’ sweeping climate, health care and tax package that Biden signed into law in 2022. It caps various health care costs for those on Medicare, including $35 a month for insulin and $2,000 a year for prescription drugs. No Republican lawmakers voted for the law.” [Associated Press, 4/3/24] 

Spectrum News: Biden, Bernie Sanders Tout Efforts To Lower Health Care Costs After Inhaler Producers Announce Price Cap. “The president used the gathering to make the case that companies are using patents to hinder the ability for generic alternatives, that often cost less, to enter the market — a move he argues keeps prices high and stifles competition. The Biden administration recently has sought to crack down on the issue, with the Federal Trade Commission late last year announcing it was challenging more than 100 patents on inhalers, epinephrine autoinjectors and other products.” [Spectrum News, 4/3/24]

CBS News: Biden Touts Inhaler Price Drops With Bernie Sanders: “Finally, Finally We Beat Big Pharma.” “Sen. Bernie Sanders and President Biden joined forces Wednesday at the White House, championing the progress they’ve made on lowering the cost of inhalers and other expenses for Americans with asthma. Mr. Biden and Sanders also called on Congress and pharmaceutical companies to do more to curb prices. […] Americans pay more for prescription drugs than people in any other advanced company in the world, typically two to three times more, Mr. Biden and Sanders said. One company charges customers $9 for inhalers in Germany, and $286 in the U.S., Mr. Biden said — more than 30 times more. More than 27 million people in the U.S. suffer from asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.” [CBS News, 4/3/24]

ABC News: Bernie Sanders, Biden Share Plan To Cut ‘Outrageous’ Health Care Costs. “Among the accomplishments highlighted by Biden and Sanders were the Inflation Reduction Act provisions capping insulin costs at $35 for Medicare patients and out-of-pocket spending on brand-name drugs for Medicare beneficiaries to $2,000 yearly. They also touted the ability of Medicare, for the first time, to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on the price of certain prescription drugs. […] Still, both Biden and Sanders said more work needs to be done. They advocated for expanding Medicare’s price negotiations to 50 drugs (the first 10 drugs subject to negotiations were unveiled last year) and for capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs to $2,000 for all Americans.” [ABC News, 4/3/24]

The Hill: Biden, Sanders Tout Drug Pricing Action. “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined President Biden at the White House Wednesday to tout progress they’ve made at lowering drug costs, especially for common medicines like inhalers and insulin. […] Biden talked up his efforts to cap the costs of insulin at $35 a month for people on Medicare, as well as requiring drug companies to negotiate prices with Medicare for the first time ever. He credited Sanders with helping to shepherd drug pricing legislation through Congress. Earlier this year, Sanders and several Democratic colleagues criticized four major inhaler manufacturers — AstraZeneca, GSK, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Boehringer — for having significantly higher prices in the U.S. than elsewhere. Since then, one inhaler manufacturer has nixed patents, and three of the largest inhaler manufacturers said they plan to cap the cost of inhalers for many patients at $35 a month. Biden pledged to build on his current measures, including a shared goal with Sanders of capping health care costs at $2,000 annually for all Americans, not just those on Medicare.” [The Hill, 4/3/24]

The Washington Post: Bernie Sanders Joins Biden In Touting Lower Prescription Drug Costs. “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined President Biden on Wednesday to tout an initiative that Democrats believe will be key this election year: lowering the cost of prescription drugs. The event took place at the place at the [sic] White House, but the issue is one that Democrats hope will resonate on the campaign trail.” [The Washington Post, 4/3/24]

The Washington Times: Biden Enlists Bernie Sanders To Highlight Democratic-GOP Contrasts On Health Care. “‘We are sick and tired of paying, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,’ Mr. Sanders said at the White House. ‘The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are beginning to make some progress.’ Mr. Biden‘s marquee drug-price legislation offered seniors on Medicare a $2,000 annual cap on prescription costs and a $35 limit on monthly insulin in the Inflation Reduction Act. But Democrats want to grant the benefits to all Americans. The president also wants to let Medicare negotiate up to 50 drugs per year, an expansion of a signature program that will negotiate down the cost of at least 10 drugs starting in 2026 before expanding to 15 drugs and, incrementally, more drugs in successive years. ‘I think we should be more aggressive,’ Mr. Biden said. Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders tried to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The Republican Study Committee, a major bloc of House Republicans, released a fiscal 2025 budget plan that would attack Obamacare and convert Medicare into a premium-support model. Mr. Biden said he is pushing to extend supersized subsidies that made Obamacare more popular and drove record signups, yet expire at the end of 2025.” [The Washington Times, 4/3/24]

CNN: Four Years After Being Rivals, Joe Biden And Bernie Sanders Partner To Push For Lower Prescription Drug Costs. “Sanders has long decried the high prices Americans pay for drugs, grilling pharmaceutical company executives and releasing a multitude of bills to bring down medication costs. He even led a caravan to Canada in 2019 to give people with diabetes access to less expensive insulin. Biden sought to align himself with the outspoken senator, saying Wednesday that the two have fought against high drug prices for 25 years and ‘beat Big Pharma finally.’ […] Trump has talked about dismantling the Affordable Care Act if he were to win a second term, even as the landmark health care law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010 has proven to be popular among most Americans, including Republicans. Both Biden and Sanders also called out congressional Republicans for voting against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which gave Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices and capped the monthly cost of insulin at $35 and the annual out-of-pocket costs for drugs at $2,000 for Medicare enrollees. Biden also slammed Republicans on Capitol Hill for limiting the law’s provisions those [sic] covered by Medicare, rather than extending them to those with private insurance.” [CNN, 4/3/24]

USA Today: Biden Teams Up With Progressive Former Rival Bernie Sanders To Slam Trump Over Health Care. “President Joe Biden teamed up Wednesday with one-time political rival Bernie Sanders to hammer Republicans on prescription drug costs. The independent U.S. senator appeared with Biden at the White House for an event with healthcare advocates that focused on lowering the costs cost [sic] of inhalers to $35 a month, along with other Democratic efforts to expand access to health care. […] Biden sought to bring attention to actions he has taken with the help of congressional Democrats to lower prescription drug costs at the event with Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The president is now pushing for a $2,000 cap on drug costs and $35 insulin for every American, not just seniors.” [USA Today, 4/3/24]

COMMENTARY 

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT): “Earlier today, I went to the White House because @POTUS and I had some good news to share on the fight to lower prescription drug costs in this country. But let me be clear: The fight does not stop here.” [@SenSanders, X, 4/3/24]

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI): “When I said I’d fight to lower health care costs for Wisconsin families, I meant it. I’m proud that after my investigation into the high cost of inhalers, three of the biggest inhaler manufacturers have capped their inhaler prices at $35/month!“ [@SenatorBaldwin, X, 4/3/24] 

President Biden: “$35 a month insulin for seniors. $35 inhalers for asthma. $2,000 a year cap on prescription drugs for seniors starting next year. With Senator Sanders’ help, we’re showing how health care should be a right – not a privilege – in America.” [@POTUS, X, 4/3/24]

President Biden: “Inhalers cost less than $5 to make. But drug companies charge Americans up to $600 to increase their profits. My Administration has been cracking down on Big Pharma – and now, three of the four largest inhaler manufacturers are capping out-of-pocket costs at $35.” [@POTUS, X, 4/3/24]

Washington, D.C. — Today, President Biden hosted an event to celebrate lower inhaler costs, which have been under scrutiny for years. More than 27 million people across the country have asthma, which disproportionately impacts low-income Americans, seniors, Black Americans, Latinos, and American Indians and Alaska Natives, and the cost of inhalers has soared to as much as $600 per month — putting the lifesaving medication out of reach for families struggling to make ends meet.

President Biden and Democrats have taken on Big Pharma and won. In January, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led by Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Ed Markey (D-MA), launched an investigation to determine why drugmakers charge Americans far more for inhalers than people in other countries. For example, Teva charges Americans with asthma $286 for its QVAR RediHaler — which costs just $9 in Germany. The FTC recently cracked down on drug companies that use improper patents to keep the price of inhalers too high. In response, two drugmakers have capped out-of-pocket costs for some top-selling inhalers at $35 per month. 

These actions to lower the cost of inhalers build on the Inflation Reduction Act’s measures to lower the cost of prescription drugs, which will especially help people with chronic illnesses like asthma. The landmark law caps seniors’ insulin costs at $35 per month and total out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year, stops price hikes outpacing inflation, makes vaccines available for free, and lowers premium costs for people purchasing coverage on their own. Right now, the Biden administration is negotiating with drug companies for lower prices under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Negotiation Program. Just yesterday, the Biden administration announced it responded to drugmakers’ counter offers and will continue to negotiate for lower prices.

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

“Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, Americans can breathe easier knowing they can afford the prescriptions they need. The outrageous cost of inhalers exemplifies why we need the Inflation Reduction Act and other measures to rein in drug prices for hardworking families. While Democrats have been laser-focused on lowering costs, Republicans are proposing to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and roll back all of this progress in order to line the pockets of big drug companies. 

“After years of drugmakers hiking the cost of inhalers and making them unaffordable for patients, people are finally getting some relief. We must build on this momentum and continue the work of making lifesaving medications affordable for everyone in this country.”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, joined by Governor Roy Cooper, made a joint appearance in North Carolina on Tuesday to celebrate the state’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to warn against looming Republican threats to destroy the law. North Carolina is the 40th state to expand Medicaid, extending affordable health care to 600,000 North Carolinians. At the event, Democratic leaders highlighted record enrollment under the ACA, lower premiums for people who buy coverage on their own, and prescription drug savings for millions of Americans.

President Biden also laid out a vision for the future of American health care, highlighting priorities to further lower costs and expand affordable health care. This is in stark contrast to Republican priorities on health care, which includes repealing the ACA and Medicaid expansion, ripping away protections for people with pre-existing conditions, increasing insurance premiums and prescription drug costs, and putting Medicaid coverage for tens of millions in jeopardy. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump sabotaged affordable health care and pre-existing condition protections while he was in office, and has renewed his calls to “terminate” the ACA if re-elected at least seven times over the last several months.

HEADLINES

The Hill: Biden Seeks To Draw Contrast With Trump On Health Care In North Carolina. “President Biden and Vice President Harris traveled Tuesday to North Carolina to tout the recent anniversary of the Affordable Care Act and bash Republicans’ health care agenda. Biden delivered remarks in Raleigh, the capital of a state his campaign has cited as a potential flip opportunity in November after he lost it to former President Trump by roughly 75,000 votes in 2020. The visit was timed around the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law, but Biden used the trip to more broadly chastise Trump and Republicans for their efforts to restrict abortion and roll back health care coverage. ‘Kamala and I have come back to North Carolina to celebrate the Affordable Care Act and remind all of us that we can’t take anything for granted,’ Biden said. Biden noted Trump and the Republicans in Congress unsuccessfully tried dozens of times to repeal the law known as ObamaCare. He also seized on a budget proposal from the Republican Study Committee that called for cuts to the Affordable Care Act and entitlement programs.” [The Hill, 3/26/24]

The News & Observer (Opinion): “An Even Bigger Deal”: In Winnable NC, Biden And Harris Remind Voters What’s At Stake. “President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris rolled into Raleigh on Tuesday for a rare double appearance. Their mission was celebrating the 14th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act as well as North Carolina’s decision, at long last, to take advantage of the ACA’s incentives for states to expand Medicaid eligibility. At the time of the ACA’s passage, then-Vice President Biden was famously caught on mic whispering to President Barack Obama that the new health care law was ‘a big (expletive) deal.’ On Tuesday, after apologizing for his language, he said, ‘It’s an even bigger deal today.’ […] In their one-two delivery, Harris focused on what the Biden administration has done to improve women’s access to health care and the president emphasized how Republicans have tried to repeal the ACA and failed to support legislation that has lowered the price of some drugs, most notably insulin for seniors. Biden said, ‘We finally beat big pharma.’” [The News & Observer (Opinion), 3/26/24]

Cardinal & Pine: Biden And Harris Tout Healthcare Access Expansion Success At Raleigh Visit. “Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited Raleigh to discuss the administration’s achievements in lowering healthcare costs and expanding access to health insurance. […] This visit comes just days after the 14th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and as Donald Trump is on the campaign trail expressing support for repealing the law. […] Biden hit back at former President Donald Trump, who as president came within one vote of repealing the ACA, when the late John McCain voted to save the law in the US Senate in 2017. Now the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, Trump has been on the campaign trail renewing threats to repeal the ACA. ‘Now they want, to quote his words, ‘terminate’ the ACA, as my predecessor says. If that were ever to happen, we can also terminate a lot of lives as well,’ Biden warned. Biden went on to describe the real world consequences of repealing the ACA for many Americans. ’45 million people nationwide would lose their health insurance, including 1.4 million right here in North Carolina. 100 million people with preexisting conditions, from heart disease to asthma could lose their protection as well,’ Biden explained.” [Cardinal & Pine, 3/26/24] 

The Washington Post: Biden And Harris Argue That Democrats Will Preserve Health Care And Republicans Would Take It Away. “President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse gains made over the past decade and a half. Fourteen years after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, the White House still sees health care as a winning issue during a campaign in which Biden has sometimes found himself on the defensive when it comes to immigration or the economy. Republicans have opposed Biden’s signature initiatives to lower medical costs, and they’ve seized opportunities to restrict abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. ‘It’s sick. Now they want to quote, his words, terminate the ACA, as my predecessor says,’ Biden said, referring to Republican former President Donald Trump. ‘If that were ever to happen, we’d also terminate a lot of lives as well. But we’re not going to let that happen, are we? We’re not going to let that happen.’” [The Washington Post (AP), 3/26/24] 

Roll Call: Takeaways As Biden, Harris Take Aim At Trump, Try To Flip North Carolina. “Taking the stage in a Raleigh community center before her boss, Harris said ‘extremists … want to take away’ coverage for seniors, working families and Americans with pre-existing conditions. […] Biden called on Congress to pass a measure that would expand tax credits granted by the Affordable Care Act after vowing Trump ‘and his MAGA friends’ would not be able to repeal the 2010 health care law. He touted his record, including helping the Medicare program negotiate lower prescription drug costs, and said he wants to expand that to more Americans in a second term. White House aides during a Monday evening call previewing the event contended that Biden, working with the state’s outgoing Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, had expanded Medicaid coverage via the Affordable Care Act to 600,000 residents there. The aides, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told reporters those same North Carolinians could lose that coverage if Trump’s campaign proposals become law.” [Roll Call, 3/26/24] 

CNN: Biden And Harris Team Up For A Rare Joint Appearance In North Carolina To Take On GOP Over Health Care. “President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took on Republicans over health care in North Carolina on Tuesday, looking to press what they believe is a winning issue ahead of November’s election. The Raleigh stop marked a rare joint appearance on the road by the president and vice president, highlighting the emphasis the duo will place on health care as they prepare to face off against former President Donald Trump. It came the same day the Supreme Court heard arguments on access to the abortion medication mifepristone, teeing up a summer decision that could have major implications for abortion rights. Biden’s advisers believed Tuesday’s visit would provide a stark contrast between the Democratic ticket’s vision for health care and reproductive rights and proposals put forth by Republicans. It’s taking place on the heels of a campaign push slamming Trump for threatening to repeal the Affordable Care Act if he’s elected to a second term.” [CNN, 3/26/24]

Spectrum News: Biden Talks Lowering Health Care Costs As He Hopes To Put North Carolina Into Play This November. “President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris rallied supporters around their vision to lower health care costs and strengthen the Affordable Care Act during a visit to North Carolina on Tuesday. It marked the latest stop on Biden’s post-State of the Union swing state tour as he looks to put the Tar Heel State into play this November. Speaking at a community center in Raleigh on Tuesday, Biden touted what he considers some of his most significant accomplishments in terms of health care costs, such as enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, capping insulin costs at $35 a month and total out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare. ‘Folks, I want to extend those savings to everyone who needs lifesaving insulin, whether you’re a senior or not — everyone, everyone,’ Biden said of the insulin price cap before later echoing that message when it comes to the $2,000 a year ceiling. The president has also called for Medicare to have the power to negotiate the price of 50 drugs per year rather than 20. It comes less than a week after the White House marked the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, known colloquially as Obamacare, highlighting that a record 21.4 million people enrolled in health insurance plans through its marketplaces during the 2024 open enrollment period.” [Spectrum News, 3/26/24]

Firstpost: Biden and Harris Argue That Democrats Will Preserve Health Care And Republicans Would Take It Away. “In the crucial state of North Carolina on Tuesday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris pushed their health care programme, claiming that Democrats like them would protect access to care while Republicans would undo progress achieved over the previous fifteen years. In a campaign when Joe Biden has occasionally found himself on the defence when it comes to immigration or the economy, the White House continues to view health care as a winning topic, fourteen years after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Republicans have fought Biden’s flagship efforts to cut healthcare costs, and since the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, they have taken advantage of opportunities to limit access to abortion.” [Firstpost, 3/27/24] 

WXII 12: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris Visit North Carolina And Talk About Affordable Care Act. “President Biden and Vice President Harris told the crowd that health care is a right, not a privilege, so they stressed the importance of protecting the Affordable Care Act. The president said it’s not just about protecting but also strengthening the plan and expanding coverage. It’s something the president said he and his administration have a plan for, so that no Americans go without coverage. ‘At the most vulnerable point in your life, so many Americans heard these words: ‘Sorry, you’re on your own.’ For God’s sake, this is the United States Of America. We’re so much better than that, and that’s why the Affordable Care Act is so important and why Kamala and I will make it stronger than ever before,’ President Joe Biden said.” [WXII 12, 3/26/24]

ABC45 News: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris Visit North Carolina To Talk Healthcare. “President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage in Raleigh to talk health care. Last year North Carolina expanded Medicaid that provided coverage to over 600,000 people through the Affordable Cares Act. Sot: ’21 million people covered under the ACA, a 75 percent increase since Kamala and I came into office and that includes over 1 million folks right here in North Carolina,’ said President Joe Biden. Lowering health care, increasing mental health coverage, & maintaining Medicaid for North Carolinians are focal points Biden wants to tackle.” [ABC45 News, 3/26/24]

Washington, D.C. – Monday, April 1 kicks off the seventh annual Medicaid Awareness Month. One in four Americans rely on Medicaid for access to health care, and the program serves people from all backgrounds, including children, mothers, people of color, working families, people with disabilities, rural Americans, and seniors. 

President Biden and Democrats in Congress have been champions for lowering health care costs and improving care for the American people. They have defended Medicaid from GOP attacks, created multi-billion dollar incentives for Medicaid expansion, stopped onerous work requirements, pushed for expanded postpartum coverage, and worked to minimize the impacts of Medicaid unwinding. The contrast with Republicans could not be clearer. Republican lawmakers continue to escalate their attacks against Medicaid and affordable health care. The latest GOP budget slashes trillions from Medicaid through block granting and calls for work reporting requirements and other bureaucratic measures designed to throw people off their coverage. GOP leaders in 10 states have also failed to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), blocking 1.6 million people from lifesaving coverage. 

Throughout the month of April, Protect Our Care will release reports, publish fact sheets, and host events nationwide with elected officials, storytellers, and health care advocates. These activities will highlight Medicaid’s critical role in America, underscore what needs to be done to protect and strengthen the program, and make clear the dire consequences of the Republican agenda. 

To mark the start of Medicaid Awareness Month, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement: 

“Medicaid Awareness Month is a celebration of how this vital health care program has touched millions of families across the nation, but it is also an important reminder that Medicaid remains under attack by Republicans. Medicaid coverage improves people’s health, keeps hospitals open, increases families’ financial security, and saves lives. Yet Republicans want to slash Medicaid and throw millions of people off of their coverage. 

“Nothing better exemplifies the GOP war on health care than their relentless attacks on Medicaid. Just last week, Republicans proposed their latest plan to slash Medicaid by trillions through block grants and paperwork requirements that are designed to throw people off of their health coverage. At the same time, Republicans in 10 states are blocking Medicaid expansion under the ACA, leaving 1.6 million Americans without a place to turn for affordable health care. President Biden and Democrats in Congress, on the other hand, are working to protect and strengthen Medicaid for years to come.”

The month will include the following themes each week:

• Week 1: Republican threats to Medicaid. Week one will focus on the contrast between President Biden’s work to protect and expand Medicaid versus Republicans’ fight to cut the program and rip coverage away from millions.
• Week 2: Medicaid helps people of color and rural Americans. Week two will highlight how Medicaid is a critical tool to expand access to coverage, which helps narrow stark racial and geographic disparities in health care, improve families’ financial security, and make people healthier. 
• Week 3: Medicaid helps women and kids. Taking place during Black Maternal Health Week, week three will bring attention to the vital role of Medicaid for mothers and children across the country. 
• Week 4: Medicaid helps seniors and people with disabilities. The final week will focus on how Medicaid helps seniors and people with disabilities access lifesaving care.

Washington, D.C. — Today, a group of anti-abortion activists and organizations presented arguments before the Supreme Court in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and Danco v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. The plaintiffs in this case are challenging the FDA’s expansion of the drug which would affect its delivery and distribution, as well as barring telemedicine prescriptions and shipments by mail. A safe, effective medication, mifepristone has been FDA-approved for 24 years and is one of two medicines most commonly used in medication abortion in the United States. Last year, Republican-appointed judges in Texas and on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of plaintiffs, issuing separate orders severely restricting access to mifepristone, but the Supreme Court stayed this decision. 

This case’s potential repercussions go far beyond abortion care — it opens the door for the politically-motivated removal of other safe and effective drugs from the market — throwing the entire U.S. drug approval process into chaos. The consequences of this ruling would be most detrimental for women of color, people living in rural areas, and lower-income Americans who face the steepest barriers to accessing care. FDA’s approval of mifepristone remains unchanged at the moment, but the Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the case by early July. Read Protect Our Care’s fact sheet on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.

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

“The plaintiffs’ arguments undermine decades of research and the FDA’s scientific judgment that mifepristone is safe and effective and could throw our entire drug approval process into chaos. This is a deliberate attack by MAGA extremists to deny people the freedom to make their own reproductive health decisions. The justices were right today to strongly question the plaintiffs’ standing and arguments. Patients and families deserve access to medication they need without unnecessary political and judicial interference. If the courts ultimately side with the plaintiffs, it will be an unprecedented situation, opening the door for more fringe extremist groups with a political agenda to challenge any medication they disagree with.”