June 2021

Protect Our Care Releases New Fact Sheet Debunking Big Pharma’s Claims

As part of Week 2 of Lower Rx Summer, Protect Our Care is releasing a new fact sheet pushing back on Big Pharma’s lies about drug pricing reform. The fact sheet breaks down three major claims pushed by drugmakers and Republican lawmakers to block legislation to reduce prices, including Democrats’ Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) which gives Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans. 

Protect Our Care recently announced Lower Rx Summer as part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices. Lower Rx Summer consists of themed weeks of action to demonstrate the urgent need for legislation to lower drug prices principally by giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans. 

Remaining Theme Weeks for Lower Rx Summer

Week 2 (June 14): Pushing Back on Big Pharma’s Lies

Week 3 (June 21): How High Drug Prices Hurt Seniors

Week 4 (June 28): How High Drug Prices Hurt Women

Week 5 (July 5): How High Drug Prices Hurt People with Disabilities

Week 6 (July 12): How High Drug Prices Hurt People of Color

Week 7 (July 19): How High Drug Prices Hurt Small Businesses

Week 8 (July 26): How High Drug Prices Hurt Children

Fact Sheet: Myth Versus Fact: Big Pharma Scare Tactics

As Big Pharma prepares to fight upcoming legislation to lower drug prices, it is ramping up some of its most powerful scare tactics. In reality, the current system is broken: drug companies experience the highest profits of any major industry while nearly one in four Americans report that they struggle to afford prescribed medications. Drug companies raise the price of existing drugs like insulin year after year, with no reason other than that they can. Americans pay three times more for medicines than people in other countries, and millions are forced to choose between paying for the medications they need and paying for essentials like food and rent. 

Big Pharma, on the other hand, is enjoying sky-high profits and breaking records for the money it’s spending on K Street lobbyists to block any meaningful reform. Here are some of the myths Big Pharma and its Republican allies are pushing: 

MYTH: REDUCING DRUG PRICES WILL HARM INNOVATION, LIKE THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE

FACTS: 

• Higher profits do not correspond with increased research & development. Drug companies saved billions thanks to former President Trump’s tax bill. Instead of making meaningful investments in research and development, drug companies rewarded their executives and shareholders. 
• Price hikes rarely correspond with increased clinical value. Year after year, drug companies hike the prices of existing drugs like insulin without any added benefit to patients. 
• Taxpayers subsidize the creation of new drugs. Americans are being charged twice for high drug costs: first, as taxpayers funding research and development, and then again at the pharmacy counter. 
• The development of COVID-19 vaccines were largely funded by taxpayers, not pharmaceutical companies. More than $19 billion in government funding has been invested in COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, the drugmakers behind the vaccines are spending record amounts of money on lobbying efforts to block reform. 

MYTH: H.R. 3 WILL MAKE THE U.S. RELIANT ON OTHER COUNTRIES

FACTS: 

• Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anyone in the world. On average, Americans pay nearly three times more for medications than people in 32 other countries. 
• CBO found that H.R. 3 would only have a small impact on new drugs coming to the market. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analyzed the impact of a decrease of pharmaceutical revenue as much as $1 trillion and found that it would only have a modest impact on drugs coming to market. The CBO found that the U.S. could lose only eight of the 300 new drugs expected in the next decade, and only one or two of which represent “true therapeutic advancements,” per Patients for Affordable Drugs. 

MYTH: H.R. 3 IS GOVERNMENT OVERREACH AND WILL LEAD TO SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE & DRUG RATIONING

FACTS: 

• Drugs don’t work if patients can’t afford them. Millions of Americans report struggling to afford prescribed medications, forcing them to cut pills in half or skip doses altogether. A 2017 report from the National Academies of Medicine on lowering costs and protecting innovation concluded, “drugs that are not affordable are of little value.”
• Drug companies could lose $1 trillion in sales and still be the most profitable industry. Researchers from West Health Policy Center and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that drug companies could lose $1 trillion in sales and still be the most profitable industry. 

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky Joined Protect Our Care To Urge Lawmakers To Stand Up To Big Pharma and Give Medicare the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Prices

Watch the Event Here

Washington D.C.– Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) and Dr. Richard Frank of Harvard Medical School joined Protect Our Care for a press call to push back on Big Pharma’s lies and call on Congress to act to bring down the price of prescription drugs. The event was part of Week 2 of Lower Rx Summer, which is focusing on debunking Big Pharma’s most powerful scare tactics. Big Pharma has been spending record amounts on lobbying to deceive the American people and protect its profits as President Biden and members of Congress finally have the opportunity to meaningfully lower drug prices.

In 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3), bold legislation to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices — the single most effective measure to bring down drug costs for patients. In April, House Democrats reintroduced this legislation, giving Congress another opportunity to lower prescription drug prices and meet the demands of voters across the political spectrum. Nine out of 10 Americans agree that Medicare should have the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans. Seniors, women, children, communities of color, and everyone purchasing prescription drugs would benefit from this legislation. 

Throughout the week, Protect Our Care will continue to host events and release research to push back on Big Pharma’s biggest lies. Protect Our Care recently announced Lower Rx Summer as part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices. Lower Rx Summer consists of themed weeks of action to demonstrate the urgent need for legislation to lower drug prices principally by giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices. 

“We need to mobilize people to say to Big Pharma, ‘No, we are not going to die rather than get the drugs that we need at a price that we can afford.’ Because that is absolutely what is happening right now,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09). “Big Pharma claims that they are spending all this money on research and development, but the fact of the matter is that the price is not set based on how much things cost. Prices are set by how much drug companies want to pay for executive salaries, spend on advertising, and to make more profits. The American people are behind us, and we must get this legislation passed.” 

“There are many drugs out there that come onto the market every year and offer very few, if any, therapeutic benefits, said Dr. Richard Frank, Margaret T. Morris Professor of Health Economics at Harvard Medical School. “I’ve recently done some research which showed that about 40% of the drugs that come on the market offer a few if any new health benefits to American consumers, yet they fetch a fairly substantial price. The new Alzheimer’s drug, Aducanumab, highlights this point: The drug addresses a dreadful disease, but it remains very uncertain how much it’s going to contribute to the well-being and functioning of most people that take it. Priced at $56,000, Aducanumab underscores the disconnect between prices and the value of treatments.” 

“Americans pay more for drugs than anyone in the world. It’s time to put an end to Big Pharma’s rigged system that allows drug companies to charge astronomical prices for medications all while raking in record profits and lining executives’ pockets,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Drug companies are well aware that President Biden and Democrats in Congress are determined to take action, so they’ve been ramping up their scare tactics and lobbying efforts. We know the truth: Big Pharma’s claims are nothing short of lies, and the American people are demanding reform. It’s time to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.” 

BACKGROUND:

Fact Sheet: Taking Action To Reduce Drug Prices Will Not Harm Innovation

Remaining Theme Weeks for Lower Rx Summer

Week 2 (June 14): Pushing Back on Big Pharma’s Lies

Week 3 (June 21): How High Drug Prices Hurt Seniors

Week 4 (June 28): How High Drug Prices Hurt Women

Week 5 (July 5): How High Drug Prices Hurt People with Disabilities

Week 6 (July 12): How High Drug Prices Hurt People of Color

Week 7 (July 19): How High Drug Prices Hurt Small Businesses

Week 8 (July 26): How High Drug Prices Hurt Children

Survey Respondents Said “This is Not Science or Healthcare, This is Corporate Greed,” Called Biogen’s Actions “Highway Robbery for Snake Oil”

A new poll conducted by Endpoints News of more than 1,400 biotech and pharmaceutical industry workers found overwhelming consensus: the cost of Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s treatment, Aducanumab, is unjustified and will have major financial implications for patients, taxpayers, and the entire health care system. Nearly 75 percent of respondents found Aducanumab’s $56,000 cost to be “inequitable.”

Here is what industry workers had to say on the matter:

“Aducanumab priced at $56K with the efficacy of a sugar pill is taking advantage of patients, the health care system, and is ruthless.”

“Absolutely not. Unconscionable price for a drug with limited and questionable data, no clear clinical benefit, concerning tox profile and an immense population. 500,000 Alzheimer’s patients per year. 6M prevalent patients. This could devastate Medicare.”

“Since the drug has NOT been proven to be efficacious, the price is astounding[ly] ridiculous. This is not science or healthcare, this is corporate greed.”

“Highway robbery for snake oil.”

“How are [tax]payers going to focus on any other disease therapies (with far better efficacy) when they’re distracted with this giant line item? They’ve handed Biogen a gigantic blockbuster without them earning it.”

“Potentially dangerous to patients without any real indication of benefit.”

“Borderline fraud. I have an ethical obligation to my patients. I will never prescribe.”

“There is not enough proof of efficacy. Biogen will make a boat-load of profit selling an unproven drug at a high price based on the (false?) hopes of patients.”

“Data presented by Biogen is at the best weak, and at the worst totally irrelevant. This is coupled with high costs to consumers for, at best, modest improvements in therapeutic outcomes.”

This week, the FDA approved Biogen’s unproven and hugely expensive Alzheimer’s drug, Aducanumb, and experts have said that the drug’s $56,000 price tag will have major financial implications for patients, taxpayers, and the entire health care system. Even though the benefits of Aducanumb are uncertain, Biogen is putting profits over patients and taking advantage of a broken system that allows drugmakers to set outrageous prices without any limitations. The news only underscores the urgent need for Congress to take action and pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans, including launch prices.

Axios: New Alzheimer’s Drug Could Blow Up Health Spending. “The FDA’s decision this week paved the way for a free-for-all in which taxpayers foot most of the enormous bill for a drug that hasn’t been proven effective.” [Axios, 6/8/21]

CNBC: Biogen Faces Tough Questions Over $56K-A-Year Price Of Newly Approved Alzheimer’s Drug. “Analysts and advocacy groups immediately questioned how the company could justify the price — about five times higher than expected — especially as medical experts continue to debate whether there’s enough evidence that the drug actually works. [When executives were asked] how much Medicare will be expected to pay for the drug and how concerned executives are about the ‘backlash’ the industry will face over its pricing, Biogen executives [responded] the total price is ‘substantiated’ by the value it is expected to bring to patients, caregivers and society. They insisted the price was ‘responsible’.” [CNBC, 6/8/21]

STAT News: Biogen Isn’t Worried About Backlash To ‘Bewildering’ Price Of Alzheimer’s Drug. “Health policy experts have criticized Biogen and warned that the cost of Aduhelm, which will largely fall upon Medicare, could galvanize a political backlash and jump-start legislative efforts to constrain drug prices.” [STAT News, 6/8/21]

STAT News (Opinion): Bad Medicine: Aducanumab Is A Lackluster Drug With A High Price Tag. “Millions of US residents over age 65 will surely want [aducanumab]. This will only serve to emphasize the disparities in care accessibility that our system is already struggling with. Were Medicare to begin coverage, the projected costs of treating all eligible recipients would quickly overwhelm the resources of the system.” [STAT News, 6/8/21]

Bloomberg: Alzheimer’s Drug Approval Draws Fire On Treatment’s Effectiveness And Uses. “The approval could raise false hope in patients and ‘potentially bankrupt the Medicare program because of the drug’s projected exorbitant price.’” [Bloomberg, 6/7/21]

Quartz: The New Alzheimer’s Drug Is About $50,000 Too Expensive. “The majority of [Alzheimer’s] patients are covered by Medicare part B, which deals with treatments delivered in hospitals, and which until now has had a budget of about $35 billion a year. The new drug could easily double that budget, putting a severe strain on Medicare resources without clear benefits.” [Quartz, 6/8/21]

BACKGROUND:

More Than A Third Of Americans Have Forgone Medications To Pay For Essential Items And Bills. A recent survey found that 36% of Americans have forgone medications to pay for essential items and bills. The rate is higher for people of color, with nearly half (47%) of non-white respondents having forgone medications to pay for essential items.

H.R. 3 Would Save Taxpayers Nearly $500 Billion Over The Next 10 Years. Analyses from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the CMS Office of the Actuary confirmed the bill would reduce negotiated drug prices by as much as 55% – saving patients an estimated $158 billion over the next few years and decreasing deficits by $456 billion. 

H.R. 3 Could Save Patients Thousands Of Dollars On Costly Medications. The Center for American Progress calculated average savings for several drugs that would likely meet the criteria for negotiation under H.R. 3. In addition to achieving thousands of dollars in monthly savings on expensive treatments for conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis, H.R. 3 would help lower the cost of insulin for some diabetics by more than $700 annually.

H.R. 3 Would Work To Create A Fair Standard For Drug Prices. The CommonWealth Fund found the bill would create a maximum price for any negotiated drug by tying it to the cost in other countries and penalizing manufacturers who fail to agree to prices set by HHS. 

For more information on the urgent need to lower drug prices, click here. 

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration granted limited approval for a new Alzheimer’s treatment. This comes despite the FDA’s independent advisory committee’s recommendation not to approve the drug due to limited evidence of effectiveness. Despite the FDA’s requirement that Biogen verify the effectiveness of the treatment through an additional clinical trial, that did not deter Biogen from setting Aduhelm’s yearly cost at a staggering $56,000. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has estimated the treatment would be cost-effective only below $8,300. Biogen stands to make billions even as millions of older adults, many of whom are desperate for treatment options, are already struggling to pay for essential medications. More than 90% of those living with Alzheimer’s are over 65, creating a hazardous financial strain for Medicare.This hefty price tag for a drug with uncertain benefits underscores the urgent need for congress to pass the Lower Drug Costs Now bill to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.

Axios: Biogen Is Banking On Aducanumab. “Market analysts estimate Biogen could price aducanumab as high as $50,000 per year of treatment, if it’s approved. Independent experts have said that price is too high considering the clinical trial data doesn’t prove the drug is effective in combating the brain disorder. Even if only a small portion of the 6 million Alzheimer’s patients are able to obtain the drug, Biogen would net billions of dollars in new sales annually.” [Axios, 6/7/21]

Axios: Aduhelm’s Price To Squeeze Medicare And Patients. “Aduhelm could create massive strains on Medicare spending and could create financially ruinous prospects for patients and their families. If Medicare decides to cover the drug with no restrictions, it would pay almost $59,000 annually for a course of treatment. Biogen could easily fetch tens of billions of dollars every year if fewer than 10% of the 6 million Alzheimer’s patients get it.” [Axios, 6/8/21]

New York Times: Alzheimer’s Drug Is Bonanza For Biogen, Most Likely At Taxpayer Expense. “The drug is all but certain to unleash a gusher of profits for Biogen — the drug is expected to become one of the best-selling pharmaceutical products in the world within a few years. Those billions of dollars in anticipated costs are likely to be shouldered largely by Medicare. The drug’s approval could drive up insurance premiums, according to health care policy experts. And it could add new out-of-pocket costs for some families that are already facing years of staggering costs for caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s. There is not strong evidence that the drug helps patients, and it comes with potentially serious side effects. Prominent experts, including the F.D.A.’s independent advisory committee and a professional society representing geriatricians and other health care providers for older adults, urged the agency not to approve the drug.” [New York Times, 6/8/21]

STAT News: ‘The Price Is Bewildering’: The Cost of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s Drug May Lead Payers To Erect Roadblocks. “At a wholesale price of $56,000 per year, the company exceeded some Wall Street expectations, and greatly surpassed the $8,300 threshold that a nonprofit determined was the price at which the medication could be considered cost-effective. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could [initially] let providers and patients make decisions about who gets the drug. But this has the potential to severely affect the Medicare budget, which affects taxpayers.” [STAT News, 6/7/21]

Bloomberg: Biogen’s Costly, Unproven Drug Feared As Health Budget Buster. “The approval of Biogen’s $56,000-a-year Alzheimer’s therapy creates an unprecedented challenge for the U.S. health system: a drug that many patients may get at a high price even though it may not slow their cognitive decline. With Monday’s FDA clearance of Aduhelm, the health system is taking on a treatment that as many as 1 million people might qualify at a total annual cost of as much $50 billion. Despite the large burden that represents, there is little certainty about whether patients will be better off.” [Bloomberg, 6/8/21]

Bloomberg (Opinion): Approving Biogen’s Alzheimer’s Drug Is A Big Mistake. “The price of the drug is just the beginning of the financial damage. Getting it will require doctor’s visits and scans to establish eligibility and monitor side effects, creating significant additional costs for Medicare, patients and their caregivers. Multiply those costs by even a fraction of the millions of Americans with Alzheimer’s, and you have a budget crisis.” [Bloomberg Opinion, 6/7/21]

West Health Polls in Four States Show Voters’ Strong Support For Allowing Medicare to Negotiate Drugs Prices,  Rejection of Pharma’s Argument That Reform Would Harm Innovation

Protect Our Care hosted four virtual press conferences to discuss new polls conducted by Global Strategies Group on behalf of West Health showing health care is a top priority for Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia voters.

Lowering prescription drug prices in particular remains a priority for voters in the four states, with an overwhelming majority reporting that they support giving Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for all Americans. The polls also show that voters reject drug companies’ arguments on innovation.

Protect Our Care recently launched The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices, a seven-figure investment to demonstrate the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices. Protect Our Care will host events both nationally and in 13 key states, including Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia throughout the summer.

ARIZONA: Thursday, June 3, 2021 — Rx Drug Reform Polling Event with AZ State Senator Engel, POC Executive Director Brad Woodhouse, and Local Storyteller

Key findings from the poll include:

• Voters believe the benefit of reducing drug prices outweighs the negative impact on innovation and standards. 

• • • Voters believe the benefit of reducing drug prices outweighs the negative impact on innovation and standards. Voters in Arizona are much more likely to agree with the statement we should allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients (72%) than the statement by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, we will undercut drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs (13%). This sentiment to let Medicare negotiate with drug companies is consistently held across the partisan spectrum with Democrats (81%), independents (67%), and Republicans (66%).

• More than half of voters in Arizona agree with the statement Americans pay too much for brand name prescription drugs – almost four times what people pay in Germany, France, and Japan.

• • Almost two thirds of voters in Arizona agree with the statement Americans pay too much for brand name prescription drugs — almost four times what people pay in Germany, France, and Japan (61%) —- rather than a statement by letting Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices based on international standards, we will be importing price controls from other countries that do not have health systems as strong as the United States (15%). The sentiment that Americans pay too much is consistent across the partisan spectrum with a majority of Democrats (63%), independents (52%), and Republicans (60%).
  • Voters are also more likely to support implementing stronger price controls for new drugs that are released into the market.

You can watch the press conference here. You can read the poll memo here and the slide presentation here. Learn more about how the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) will make prescription drugs more affordable here.

DELAWARE: Monday, June 7, 2021 – Health Care Advocates and Storytellers React to New Poll Showing Delawareans’ Strong Support for Prescription Drug Reform

Key findings from the poll include: 

• Voters strongly support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices and believe the benefit of reducing drug prices outweighs any negative impact on innovation. 

• • • “An overwhelming majority of voters in Delaware support requiring drug companies to negotiate with Medicare for lower prescription drug prices for all Americans (88% support/5% oppose). This broad support is consistent across demographics and there is particularly strong support among voters 55 and older (92% support), and men 55 and older (93%). There is overwhelming support across the partisan spectrum with Democrats (91%), independents (82%), and Republicans (86%) all supporting this measure.”
    • “Voters in Delaware overwhelmingly agree with the statement we should allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients (76%) than the statement by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, we will undercut drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs (14%).”

• Reducing prescription drug prices is a top issue for Delaware voters, and majorities of all parties agree that drug prices are going up. 

• • “Prescription drug prices are a real priority for voters in Delaware (79% top/major priority) and a top priority for more than a third Delaware voters (34% top priority). Voters 65 and older (43%), Black voters (43%), and Democrats (40%) tend to rank prescription drug prices as a particularly high priority.”
  • “More than two-thirds of voters in Delaware voters say that they think drug prices are going up (67% going up). Those most likely to think that drug prices are going up include voters 65 and older (72%), men 55 and older (74%), non-college women (73%), and Black and Hispanic voters (78%). Across the partisan spectrum, Democrats (69%), independents (75%), and Republicans (63%) all believe that prescription drug prices are going up.”

You can read the polling memo here and slide presentation here, listen to the Protect Our Care Delaware press call here, and learn more about H.R. 3 here.

NEW JERSEY: Wednesday, June 2, 2021 — Rx Drug Reform Polling Event with State Senator Vin Gopal and Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse and Patient Storyteller

Key findings from the poll include:

• Voters strongly support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices and believe the benefit of reducing drug prices outweighs any negative impact on innovation. 

• • • “An overwhelming majority of voters in New Jersey support requiring drug companies to negotiate with Medicare for lower prescription drug prices for all Americans (88% support/5% oppose). This broad support is consistent across demographics and there is particularly strong support among voters 55 and older (92% support), and men 55 and older (93%). There is overwhelming support across the partisan spectrum with Democrats (91%), independents (82%), and Republicans (86%) all supporting this measure.”
    • “Voters in Delaware overwhelmingly agree with the statement we should allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients (76%) than the statement by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, we will undercut drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs (14%).”

• Reducing prescription drug prices is a top issue for Delaware voters, and majorities of all parties agree that drug prices are going up. 

• • “Prescription drug prices are a real priority for voters in Delaware (79% top/major priority) and a top priority for more than a third Delaware voters (34% top priority). Voters 65 and older (43%), Black voters (43%), and Democrats (40%) tend to rank prescription drug prices as a particularly high priority.”
  • “More than two-thirds of voters in Delaware voters say that they think drug prices are going up (67% going up). Those most likely to think that drug prices are going up include voters 65 and older (72%), men 55 and older (74%), non-college women (73%), and Black and Hispanic voters (78%). Across the partisan spectrum, Democrats (69%), independents (75%), and Republicans (63%) all believe that prescription drug prices are going up.”

You can watch the press conference here, and learn more about how the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) will make prescription drugs more affordable here.

Coverage:

• InsiderNJ: New Jersey State Senator Vin Gopal and Health Care Advocates React to New Poll Showing New Jerseyans’ Broad Support for Prescription Drug Reform

WEST VIRGINIA: Thursday May 6, 2021 — Lower Rx Drug Costs Virtual Event with West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare, WV Citizen Action Group, Storytellers, and Advocates

Key findings from the poll include:

• Voters believe the benefit of reducing drug prices outweighs the negative impact on innovation and standards. 

• • • Voters in West Virginia are much more likely to agree with the statement we should allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients (74%) than the statement by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, we will undercut drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs (12%). This sentiment held across the partisan spectrum with the majority of Democrats (78%), independents (62%), and Republicans (74%) sharing it.

• More than half of voters in West Virginia agree with the statement Americans pay too much for brand name prescription drugs – almost four times what people pay in Germany, France, and Japan.

• • Nearly sixty percent of voters in West Virginia agree with the statement Americans pay too much for brand name prescription drugs — almost four times what people pay in Germany, France, and Japan (58%)  — rather than a statement about letting Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices based on international standards, we will be importing price controls from other countries that do not have health systems as strong as the United States (21%). 
  • Voters are also more likely to support implementing stronger price controls for new drugs that are released into the market.

You can listen to the press call here, and learn more about how the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) will make prescription drugs more affordable here.

Coverage:

• WOWK-TV (CBS-Huntington): West Virginians Call on Congress to Help Lower Prescription Drug Prices
• WVNS-TV (FOX-Lewisburg): West Virginians Call on Congress to Help Lower Prescription Drug Prices

88 Percent of Delaware Voters Support Giving Medicare the Power to Negotiate for Lower Drug Prices

Watch the event here. 

DELAWARE — Today, State Senator Sarah McBride and a patient storyteller from Dover joined Protect Our Care to discuss a new poll conducted by Global Strategies Group on behalf of West Health showing health care is a top priority for Delaware voters.

Lowering prescription drug prices in particular remains a priority for Delaware voters, with an overwhelming majority of Delawareans reporting that they support giving Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for all Americans. The poll also shows that voters reject drug companies’ arguments on innovation. 

Protect Our Care recently launched The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices, a seven-figure investment to demonstrate the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices. Protect Our Care will host events both nationally and in 13 key states, including Delaware, throughout the summer. 

Key findings from the poll include: 

• Voters strongly support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices and believe the benefit of reducing drug prices outweighs any negative impact on innovation. 

• • • “An overwhelming majority of voters in Delaware support requiring drug companies to negotiate with Medicare for lower prescription drug prices for all Americans (88% support/5% oppose). This broad support is consistent across demographics and there is particularly strong support among voters 55 and older (92% support), and men 55 and older (93%). There is overwhelming support across the partisan spectrum with Democrats (91%), independents (82%), and Republicans (86%) all supporting this measure.”
    • “Voters in Delaware overwhelmingly agree with the statement we should allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients (76%) than the statement by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, we will undercut drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs (14%).”

• Reducing prescription drug prices is a top issue for Delaware voters, and majorities of all parties agree that drug prices are going up. 

• • “Prescription drug prices are a real priority for voters in Delaware (79% top/major priority) and a top priority for more than a third Delaware voters (34% top priority). Voters 65 and older (43%), Black voters (43%), and Democrats (40%) tend to rank prescription drug prices as a particularly high priority.”
  • “More than two-thirds of voters in Delaware voters say that they think drug prices are going up (67% going up). Those most likely to think that drug prices are going up include voters 65 and older (72%), men 55 and older (74%), non-college women (73%), and Black and Hispanic voters (78%). Across the partisan spectrum, Democrats (69%), independents (75%), and Republicans (63%) all believe that prescription drug prices are going up.”

“Too many Delaware families continue to face the impossible choice between getting well and getting by,” said Sarah McBride, State Senator for Delaware’s 1st District. “And for patients across our state, the cost of care has been unbearable, and in many cases insurmountable. Delaware already spends more per capita on health care than almost every other state. But that spending is not leading to better outcomes, with Delaware actually ranked in the bottom half of states and health outcomes, according to one study, and indeed that spending is creating significant, often increasing barriers to care for Delaware families.” 

“Simply put, I cannot live the kind of life I want to live, I should be able to afford medication without so much worry on top of my illnesses and symptoms,” said Vanessa Ladson, Dover resident who faces high prescription drug costs. “My husband and I sacrificed a lot in order to be able to live. But I know other senior citizens who are much worse off than we are. Other countries help out their seniors by negotiating for fair drug prices. As the richest country in the world, the United States should be able to make our prescription drug affordable. That’s why we need Senators Carper and Coons to stand up for Delaware’s seniors, like me and my husband, by passing legislation to let Medicare negotiate for lower drug prices.”

“Politicians have every incentive to give Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug costs. Polls show that Delawareans support prescription drug reform because they feel the impact of the high costs of their medications firsthand,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Giving Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices will make medications more affordable for Delawareans and all Americans. It’s time for Congress to take action on soaring drug prices and help provide families some much-needed relief.”

You can read the polling memo here and slide presentation here, listen to Protect Our Care Delaware press call here, and learn more about H.R. 3 here.

Former President Obama Joined President Biden in a Video to Celebrate the Milestone

Over the weekend, the Biden administration announced that a record 31 million people now have coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The news shines an even brighter spotlight on the Supreme Court’s pending decision on California v. Texas, former President Trump’s signature lawsuit seeking to overturn the entire health law, end its protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and rip health care away from millions of Americans. Coverage makes clear that striking down the ACA would be especially devastating as Americans are relying on the law now more than ever. The ruling could come down as early as this week. 

Washington Post: Record 31 Million Americans Have Health-Care Coverage Through Affordable Care Act, White House Says. “About 31 million Americans now have health-care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, the White House announced Saturday, setting a record since the law, colloquially known as ‘Obamacare,’ was enacted in 2010 under President Barack Obama.” [Washington Post, 6/5/21] 

The Hill: Obama Joins Biden To Tout Record Obamacare Enrollment Numbers. “President Biden and former President Obama teamed up Saturday to tout a new record number of people enrolled in ObamaCare. The two reunited on Zoom to announce that more than 31 million Americans have gained access to health care through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).” [The Hill, 6/5/21] 

Health Affairs: Record High ACA Enrollment At 31 Million Americans. “The enrollment of 31 million people is a record high and shows an ongoing need for affordable coverage, especially for Americans without job-based coverage. This has been especially true during the pandemic—Medicaid and the marketplaces have served as an important source of coverage following job loss and economic instability. ASPE’s report also comes at a time when we are awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in California v. Texas, a global challenge where the Court could invalidate all or parts of the ACA. The new ASPE data underscores just part of what is at stake in Texas—and the potential for coverage loss and chaos if the ACA is invalidated.” [Health Affairs, 6/7/21] 

HuffPost: 31 Million Now Get Coverage Through ‘Obamacare,’ Biden Administration Says. “More people than ever are getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, providing new proof of the law’s value even as its survival depends on a Supreme Court ruling that could come as soon as Monday.” [HuffPost, 6/5/21] 

Associated Press: Biden Turns To Obama To Help Boost Health Care Enrollment. “The White House effort to spotlight the expanded enrollment and claim strong numbers for the health law comes as the political world and the health care system await a Supreme Court ruling on the law’s constitutionality. ” [Associated Press, 6/5/21] 

Rolling Stone: Record 31 Million Americans Have Coverage Because of the Affordable Care Act, White House Says. “The White House announced the numbers in a report on Saturday and released a video featuring a conversation between President Joe Biden and Obama to celebrate the news and encourage more Americans to sign up. Expanded enrollment through the federal marketplace continues until August 15, due to the ongoing pandemic…But the ACA now faces the threat of a looming Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality. The ACA survived an earlier challenge, but with more Trump-appointed judges now on the bench, its fate is less certain.” [Rolling Stone, 6/6/21] 

CNN: Biden Celebrates Health Care Milestone In Call To Obama. “The White House says that 31 million people are now covered by the Affordable Care Act. President Joe Biden called former President Barack Obama to celebrate the health care milestone.” [CNN, 6/5/21]

MSNBC: Biden, Obama Take Victory Lap as ACA Covers 31 Million Americans. “All of this coincides with the Democratic president’s special open-enrollment period, which more than a million Americans have already taken advantage of. They can continue to do so: the window doesn’t close until August. What’s more, this good news coincides with the expansive new ACA benefits included in the Democrats’ COVID relief package: some have seen their premiums cut in half, while millions have seen their premiums fall to literally zero, thanks entirely to the investments in the American Rescue Plan.” [MSNBC, 6/7/21]