After the Wall Street Journal broke the news that the Trump administration was planning on ending the Medicare drug coverage affordability program, headlines continue to outline the disastrous impact this decision will have on seniors. This all comes in the wake of Republicans slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to fund tax breaks for billionaires and creating a loophole for big drug companies to dodge price negotiations. Seniors have already been struggling with high drug prices and the soaring costs of nursing care, and now Republicans are going to squeeze seniors’ budgets even more by driving up their premiums. This is just the latest move in the GOP’s sabotage agenda, which at every point puts the interests of billionaires and big corporations ahead of everyday Americans’ health care.
WJXT-TV: Health Care Policy Advocate Explains Potential Impact of Ending Medicare Drug Subsidies
- Leslie Dach, Executive Chair of Protect Our Care, a leading health care policy and advocacy organization, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the issue and the potential impact.
WFLA: Healthcare Advocates Against Trump Admin Ending Medicare Part D Subsidy Program
- “‘They’re not going to find any more affordable drugs via Trump RX or anywhere. You know, if you’re a senior and you’re on Medicare, you rely on the prescription drugs that you get through Medicare. And these subsidies are making them a lot more affordable,’ said Adam Hoyer, the national organizing director for Protect Our Care, a healthcare advocacy organization. Hoyer said the program has helped millions of seniors for the last few years and said it will cause millions of seniors to see much higher drug prices. ‘There really is no benefit to it. If you want to say that the government is saving money by doing it, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the costs that the Iran war costs,’ Hoyer said. ‘Floridians are tired of how much everything costs right now and to artificially make drug costs more expensive for no good reason other than politics is just senseless right now.’”
MoneyWise: Dr. Oz Says ‘Many’ Seniors Will See Even Lower Premiums Next Year — But Only About a Quarter Are Projected to See Flat or Lower Costs at All
- “Democrats are zeroing in on those decisions from Trump to argue he’s responsible for the swelling costs of everyday life in America, ranging from higher gas and grocery prices to paying more for a health insurance plan. ‘For older Americans living on fixed incomes, even an extra ten or twenty dollars a month can mean choosing between filling their prescription, paying the electric bill, or buying groceries,’ said Leslie Dach, chair of the liberal-leaning health group Protect Our Care, in a statement. ‘Instead of lowering costs, Donald Trump and Republicans continue to force seniors to pay more while handing tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.’”
Bucks County Beacon: ‘Countless Seniors Will Soon Pay More’: Trump Administration Ends Subsidy for Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
- Leslie Dach, chair of the advocacy group Protect Our Care, said in a statement that President Donald Trump and his Republican allies “continue to force seniors to pay more while handing tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.”
- “Trump and Republicans are making healthcare more expensive for seniors at every turn,” said Dach. “In the middle of a GOP-induced affordability crisis, they are eliminating a key program that helps seniors afford their medications, meaning countless seniors will soon pay more just to get the lifesaving prescriptions they need. For older Americans living on fixed incomes, even an extra ten or twenty dollars a month can mean choosing between filling their prescription, paying the electric bill, or buying groceries. Seniors deserve lower prescription drug costs and affordable healthcare.”
NPR: The Trump Administration’s Move to End Subsidies for Medicare Drug Plans Could Cost Consumers
STAT: End of Medicare Drug Subsidy Gives Democrats New Attack Line on Rising Out-of-Pocket Costs
USA Today: Why Medicare Consumers Could See Higher Part D Premiums in 2027
The Hill: Trump Administration Ending Medicare Premium Subsidy Program
Fast Company: Medicare Part D Subsidy Program: Why Trump Is Ending It and What It Could Mean for Prescription Drug Costs
MS Now: Trump Administration Eyes End to Subsidies in Medicare’s Prescription Drug Plan
Fierce Healthcare: CMS Ending Medicare Part D Subsidy Program
The Independent: Older Americans Set to See Medicare Cost Rise After Trump Kills Subsidy for Drug Program
LiveNOW FOX: Medicare Part D Subsidy Program Will End In 2027: Here’s What to Know