Priorities Include Building on Democratic Victories, Defending Progress Against the MAGA Agenda in Congress and the Courts, and Educating Voters
Watch the Explainer Video Here.
Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care released its 2024 health care agenda detailing steps Congress should take to lower health care costs, strengthen and expand coverage, and advance health equity. As we enter 2024, Protect Our Care will work with the Biden administration, Congress, and allies around the country to build on recent achievements to make health care better and more affordable for all Americans. Protect Our Care will also fight efforts by MAGA-Republicans to slash Medicare and Medicaid, repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Inflation Reduction Act, all part of a Republican plan to rip away lifesaving protections for people with pre-existing conditions, reverse increasing coverage gains for millions of Americans, and increase prescription drug costs and insurance premiums.
This year, Protect Our Care will prioritize:
- Building On Recent Health Care Victories: Protect Our Care will urge Congress to make lower ACA premiums permanent, expand the Inflation Reduction Act’s lower drug costs to people with private insurance, address maternal mortality, close the Medicaid coverage gap, make 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage mandatory in all states, and take additional steps to lower costs, improve care, and further equity.
- Defending Our Progress On Health Care: Protect Our Care will work with allies to block Republican Congressional efforts to cut Medicaid, repeal Inflation Reduction Act provisions that lower premiums and drug prices, and weaken protections for pre-existing conditions. Protect Our Care will also work to stop politically-motivated lawsuits against critical health care programs, including Medicare negotiation for lower drug prices, through amici briefs and communications campaigns, so the public and the courts understand the ramifications of these cases on Americans.
- Educating Voters: Protect Our Care will educate voters about the lower costs and better care achieved by the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress over the last three years. It is critical that voters know who is working for them and who is working for big drug companies and other corporate interests. We will educate voters nationwide using tactics such as hosting press events, publishing Op-Eds, producing ad campaigns, utilizing health care storytellers, and working in collaboration with partners.
The agenda comes after another historic year for American health care. Already, record numbers of Americans have signed up for 2024 ACA coverage thanks to the hard work of President Biden and Democrats in Congress. Seniors are also continuing to enjoy new benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act, including free vaccinations for illnesses like shingles and the flu, a $35 monthly cap on insulin costs, protections from outrageous price hikes on prescriptions, and a new annual cap on out-of-pocket expenses for drugs. Soon, seniors will save even more thanks to Medicare negotiation.
“In 2023, real progress was made for millions of Americans who benefited from more accessible and affordable health care,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Under President Biden, Democrats have made enormous progress getting people covered and putting more money back in people’s pockets. In 2024, more must be done to ensure everyone has the health care they need and can afford. At a time when Donald Trump and his Republican allies have doubled down on their war on health care, threatening to repeal the ACA and hike prescription drug costs, we must organize to fight back. It has never been more critical to remain focused on putting the health and well-being of families first.”