October 2021

The New Ad Urges Senator Sinema to Support Legislation to Bring Down Drug Prices for Arizonans

Watch the Ad Here.

Arizona — Today, Protect Our Care announced a new television ad highlighting the late U.S. Senator John McCain’s (R-AZ) strong support for allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices. The ad urges U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to do the right thing and support legislation to end the current ban and give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices  for all Americans.

President Biden and Democrats in Congress are continuing to work to pass Medicare negotiation and other critical health care priorities in the Build Back Better budget legislation. The ad makes clear Senator Sinema must protect patients instead of Big Pharma’s profits. The ad will begin running on broadcast TV in Phoenix. 

“Senator Sinema has a choice to make: she can either stand up for Arizonans and deliver lower drug prices, or she can stand with the big drug companies,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Arizonans are fed up with the broken system that forces them to pay three times more for medications than people in other countries. Medicare negotiation is a no-brainer that has long been supported by voters across the political spectrum. Senator McCain fought for what was right for patients, and now Arizonans need Senator Sinema to do the right thing and rein in Big Pharma’s greed to bring relief to the American people.”   

Script (30s): 

“Why in the world, if we’re interested in lower prices for prescription drugs, would we put a prohibition in that Medicare can’t use its market share to negotiate better prices for drug companies? I mean, it makes no sense.”

Senator John McCain was right.

It makes no sense that Medicare can’t negotiate for lower prices — but Congress can fix that and lower drug prices for Arizona patients.

Call Senator Kyrsten Sinema. 

Tell her to follow Senator McCain’s lead.

Vote to lower drug prices now.

MEMORANDUM
TO: Interested Parties
FR: Katherine Patterson, Public Policy Polling
DT: October 20, 2021
MEMO: Widespread Support in Key Congressional Districts for Medicare Negotiation to Lower Drug Prices, Other Key Health Provisions, and the Overall Build Back Better Plan

Four new Public Policy Polling surveys conducted among voters in four key Congressional Districts find strong bipartisan support for the key reforms to health care that are part of the Build Back Better plan that will lower drug costs and insurance premiums, expand Medicare benefits, and increase coverage. The districts polled are California’s 52nd Congressional District (represented by Scott Peters), Florida’s 7th Congressional District (represented by Stephanie Murphy), New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District (represented by Josh Gottheimer), and New York’s 4th Congressional District (represented by Kathleen Rice).

Overwhelming majorities of voters across party lines in each district support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

• 81% of CA-52 voters, 80% of FL-07 voters, 78% of NY-04 voters, and 77% of NJ05 voters say they support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, with a majority in each district saying they strongly support it.
  • This includes support from a majority across party lines, including 86-94% of Democrats, 69-79% of independents and 64-70% of Republicans.
  • An overwhelming majority of voters (87% in FL-7 and NJ-05, 86% in NY04, and 79% in CA-52) say they think the price of prescription drugs is too high, while just 6-11% think they are “about right.” 87% of NY-04 voters support making sure that Americans do not pay more for the same prescription drugs than what people pay in other countries, while just 5% oppose it. Those in support include 84% of independents and 83% of Republicans
• An overwhelming majority of voters in each district (90% in NJ-05, 87% in NY-04 and FL-07, and 83% in CA-52) support making sure that Americans do not pay more for the same prescription drugs than what people pay in other countries, while just 4-10% oppose it. Those in support include 84-86% of independents and 71- 90% of Republicans
• Voters reject the drug company argument that giving Medicare the power to negotiate will undermine innovation. A strong majority of voters in each district (77% in CA-52, 75% in FL-07, 74% in NJ-05, and 70% in NY-04) say they agree more that Medicare should be allowed to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients. Just 9-11% agree more with the drug company argument that by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs will be undercut.

Voters are also supportive of the other benefits the Build Back Better plan would offer for health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid:

• 70% of CA-52 voters, 65% of NY-04 and FL-07 voters, and 62% of NJ-05 voters support a plan in Congress to lower the health insurance costs for people who buy insurance on their own by expanding tax credits and subsidies. Just 10-16% overall are opposed. Like many of the previous initiatives, this attracts bipartisan support, including 58-72% of Republican voters and 60-66% of independents.
• 85% of FL-7 and NY-04 voters, 84% of CA-52 voters, and 83% of NJ-05 voters support using savings from lower drug prices to provide health care benefits for hearing, dental, and vision to seniors on Medicare, and lower insurance premiums for millions more. Supporters include 72-84% of Republicans and 75-82% of independents.
• 72% of CA-52 voters, 70% of NY-04 voters, 69% of FL-07 voters, and 62% of NJ05 voters support giving low- and moderate-income Americans, including seniors, children, and people who do not get insurance at work, the opportunity to get health insurance at little or no cost if their district does not offer coverage under Medicaid. Just 14-20% are opposed. Supporters include a majority of independents (52-64%) and a plurality to majority of Republicans, depending on the district (43-63%).

A majority of voters in all four districts (72% in CA-52, 70% in NY-04, 65% in FL-07, and 62% in NJ-05) say they support the overall Build Back Better plan, which would provide paid family and medical leave, expand Medicare coverage for seniors including dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and lower health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.

A majority of voters in all four districts (72% in CA-52, 70% in NY-04, 65% in FL-07, and 62% in NJ-05) say they support the overall Build Back Better plan, which would provide paid family and medical leave, expand Medicare coverage for seniors including dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and lower health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 516 voters in Florida’s 7th Congressional District on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 15-16, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 4.3%. 60% of interviews for the survey were conducted by text message and 40% by telephone.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 658 voters in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 15-17, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 3.8%. 50% of interviews for the survey were conducted by telephone and 50% by text message.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 532 voters in New York 4th Congressional District on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 15-16, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 4.3%. 50% of interviews for the survey were conducted by telephone and 50% by text message.

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of the Build Back Better Act’s health care provisions, including closing the Medicaid coverage gap and making the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credit enhancements permanent. The CBO found that 3.9 million uninsured Americans would gain coverage and 7.6 million people total would enroll in subsidized insurance under the ACA and Medicaid. 

The Build Back Better’s provisions to strengthen the ACA and Medicaid addresses the needs of many low-wage workers whose employers charge too much for limited coverage, forcing families to make impossible decisions between paying for health care and paying for food or rent. Over the past decade, premiums for low-wage workers have increased at a significantly higher rate than wages. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“The CBO’s analysis clearly shows that the Build Back Better Act will have a substantial impact on the health and financial well-being of millions of Americans. Four million uninsured Americans would gain health insurance and millions more would pay less for coverage. The health care measures are already the most popular provisions in the bill, and it is essential that each policy remains in its full form in the final agreement. We commend Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Pallone and Chairman Neal, and House Democrats for leading the charge to make health care a right for every American.” 

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 19 AT 12:00 PM ET***

Washington, DC — Today, Tuesday, October 19 at 12:00 PM ET, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will host a virtual press conference with Michele Eberle, Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, Stan Dorn, Director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation at Families USA, and Anne Shoup, Communications Director for Protect Our Care, announcing new legislation to simplify health care enrollment for Americans. Sen. Van Hollen’s new bill, The Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act, will streamline health care enrollment for uninsured families and help close the massive gap in eligible but uninsured Americans. 

U.S. Representative Ami Bera (D-CA-07) will introduce the legislation in the House. The large and diverse group of organizations supporting The Easy Enrollment Health Care Act include: Families USA, Protect Our Care, Third Way, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, First Focus, Alliance of Community Health Plans, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Action Network, American Heart Association, and Centene.

VIRTUAL PRESS CALL: 

WHO:
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Michele Eberle, Executive Director for Maryland Health Benefit Exchange
Stan Dorn, Director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation at Families USA
Anne Shoup, Communications Director for Protect Our Care

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference To Announce New Easy Enrollment Legislation 

WHERE: Email Francesca Amodeo to RSVP and receive link

WHEN: Tuesday, October 19 at 12:00 PM ET

Protect Our Care Hosted Activities in Arizona, California, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia

Protect Our Care continued its events and activities calling on members of Congress to pass all of President Biden’s health care priorities in the Build Back Better Act. Democrats are continuing to negotiate a final budget agreement that will give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, extend coverage to millions by closing the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare benefits to include vision, dental and hearing, and reduce health care costs for millions of people purchasing coverage on their own. New polling released this week from Public Policy Polling on behalf of Protect Our Care confirms these proposals are overwhelmingly popular among voters in key states.

Through press events, radio ads, and polling, Protect Our Care continued to convey that President Biden’s health care priorities are among the most consequential policies to Americans’ health and well-being and remain central to the popularity of the Build Back Better package. Protect Our Care will continue to ensure that lawmakers understand the importance of lowering drug prices and expanding care leading up to the final passage of the Build Back Better Act. 

ARIZONA

PRESS EVENT: U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07) and local advocates joined Protect Our Care Arizona for a virtual press conference to highlight how the efforts of President Biden and Democrats in Congress will lower costs and expand access to health care in Arizona and across the country. Advocates also discussed new polling on behalf of Protect Our Care that shows 73% of Arizonans across party lines support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. 

Watch the Event Here. 

NEW POLL: Public Policy Polling released a new poll on behalf of Protect Our Care showing 73% of Arizona voters say they support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, with 61% saying they strongly support it. A majority (59%) of Arizonans also say they support the overall Build Back Better plan, which would provide paid family and medical leave, expand Medicare coverage for seniors including dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and lower health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.

Full Poll Results and Memo Here.

RADIO AD: Protect Our Care extended its radio ad calling for Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to meet the demands of her constituents and support giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. The ad features Will Humble, the Executive Director for the Arizona Public Health Association, who explains that Arizonans pay three times more for drugs than people in other countries while Big Pharma continues to rake in record profits and hike prices on Americans.

Listen to the Radio Ad Here.

CALIFORNIA

PRESS EVENT: Dr. Arnold Gass, VA physician and professor at UCSD, Rachelle Compton, nurse and constituent of Rep. Scott Peters, Dr. Seth Fischer, resident at UC San Diego Health, and Bryant Miramontes, Senior Campaign Organizer at Health Access California, joined Protect Our Care California for an event to call on Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to San Diegans struggling to afford their medications by giving Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower prices. 

Watch the Event Here. 

PLANE: Protect Our Care flew a plane banner over San Diego urging Rep. Scott Peters to support lowering drug prices by giving Medicare the power to negotiate. The event came as constituents and activists held multiple events in his district on Thursday urging the Congressman to do the right thing and pass the Build Back Better Act. 

DELAWARE

RADIO AD: On Wednesday, Protect Our Care announced a new radio ad calling on Delawareans to tell U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Chris Coons (D-DE) that they expect their support for giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. As Congress is closing in on legislation that will transform the lives of American families nationwide, the radio ad makes clear that Delawareans won’t settle for half-measures and that Senators Carper’s and Coon’s votes are key to passing prescription drug pricing reform. 

Listen to the Radio Ad Here. 

NEW POLL: Protect Our Care released a new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling showing that 78% of Delaware voters say they support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, with more than 6 in 10 saying they strongly support it. The poll also shows that a large majority (70%) of Delaware voters also say they support the overall Build Back Better plan.

Full Poll Results and Memo Here. ​​

NEW JERSEY

NEW POLL: New polling from Public Policy Polling on behalf of Protect Our Care showed 77% of New Jersey voters say they support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, with 61% saying they strongly support it. A majority (68%) of New Jersey voters also say they support the overall Build Back Better plan. 

Full Poll Results and Memo Here.

Coverage:

• NJ Spotlight News: NJ voters who support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices

WEST VIRGINIA

PRESS EVENT: Morgantown resident and Type 1 diabetic Mindy Salango, Executive Director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care Dr. Jessica Ice, Protect Our Care Executive Director Leslie Dach and local advocates joined Protect Our Care West Virginia for a virtual event to call on Congress to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to West Virginians struggling to afford their medications by giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. New polling on behalf of Protect Our Care shows that 74% of West Virginians across party lines support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices.

Watch the Event Here.

NEW POLL: Public Policy Polling released a new poll on behalf of Protect Our Care showing 74% of West Virginia voters say they support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, with 56% saying they strongly support it. A majority (57%) of West Virginians also say they support the overall Build Back Better plan. 

Full Poll Results and Memo Here.

RADIO AD: Protect Our Care extended its radio ad calling for U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to meet the demands of his constituents and fight for giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. The ad features Mindy Salango, a Morgantown resident who suffers from Type I diabetes, explaining that giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices is the solution to the broken drug pricing system. 

Listen to the Radio Ad Here.

New polling from Navigator released today confirms that health care is the most popular part of President Biden’s Build Back Better Act. The poll found that voters believe that the measures to lower drug costs, expand Medicare, and make premiums more affordable are the top reasons Congress should pass the Build Back Better Act, and they think these are the policies that will help them most personally. 

A closer look at the results: 

Voters Agree the Best Reasons to Pass Build Back Better Are Medicare Negotiation for Lower Drug Prices, Expanding Medicare, and Reducing the Cost of Health Insurance. When it comes to policies that affect them directly, voters say giving Medicare the power to negotiate, expanding Medicare benefits, and making insurance more affordable are the best reasons to pass the plan. 

Lowering Health Care Costs and Health Insurance Premiums and Expanding Medicare Are Seen as the Most Personally Helpful Policies in Build Back Better. According to Navigator: “Half of respondents were asked to rate how good of reasons a list of policies from Biden’s new plan were to pass it, while the other half were asked the same but about ‘helping people like me.’ Raising taxes on the rich and not the middle class, lowering drug prices and healthcare premiums, and expanding Medicare top both lists.”

MEMORANDUM
To: Interested Parties
From: Minami Yoshizawa, Public Policy Polling
Date: October 13, 2021
RE: Widespread Support in Key States for Medicare Negotiations to Lower Drug Prices, Other Key Health Provisions, and the Overall Build Back Better Plan

Four new Public Policy Polling surveys conducted among voters in Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia find strong bipartisan support for the key reforms to health care that are part of the Build Back Better Plan that will lower drug costs and insurance premiums, expand Medicare benefits, and increase coverage.

Overwhelming majorities of voters across party lines in each state support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

• 73% of Arizona voters, 74% of West Virginia voters, 77% of New Jersey voters, and 78% of Delaware voters say they support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans, with a majority in each state saying they strongly support it.
  • This includes support from a majority across party lines, including 65-74% of independents and 63-74% of Republicans.
  • An overwhelming majority of voters (ranging from 85% in New Jersey to 92% in West Virginia) say they think the price of prescription drugs is too high, while just 4-9% think they are “about right.”
• Opposing Medicare negotiations for drug prices could have political consequences for each state’s elected officials. A plurality of voters (ranging from 39% in New Jersey and West Virginia to 45% in Arizona) say they are less likely to vote for their senator in the next election if they oppose Medicare having the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Just 17-20% say they would be more likely to support them.
• An overwhelming majority of voters in each state (ranging from 83% in New Jersey to 88% in Delaware) support making sure that Americans do not pay more for the same prescription drugs than what people pay in other countries, while just 4-6% oppose it. Those in support include 80-84% of independents and 80-85% of Republicans.
• A majority of voters in each state (ranging from 68% in Arizona to 77% in New Jersey) say they agree more that we should allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to make drugs and medication more affordable to patients.
• Voters reject the drug company argument that giving Medicare the power to negotiate will undermine innovations. Just 7-11% agree more with the drug company argument that by letting Medicare dictate prescription drug prices, drug companies’ ability to innovate and develop new drugs will be undercut.

Voters are also supportive of the other benefits the Build Back Better plan would offer for health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid:

• 59% of Arizona voters, 63% of West Virginia voters, 66% of New Jersey voters, and 70% of Delaware voters support a plan in Congress to lower the health insurance costs for people who buy insurance on their own by expanding tax credits and subsidies. Just 9-19% overall are opposed. Like many of the previous initiatives, this attracts bipartisan support, including 56-61% of Republican voters and 52-64% of independents.
• 79% of Arizona voters, 81% of West Virginia voters, 84% of New Jersey voters, and 86% of Delaware voters support policies to lower drug costs after hearing that savings from lower drug prices would be used to provide health care benefits for hearing, dental, and vision to seniors on Medicare, and lower insurance premiums for millions more. Supporters include 76-85% of Republicans and 71-82% of independents.
• 56% of Arizona voters, 64% of West Virginia voters, 67% of New Jersey voters, and 70% of Delaware voters support giving low- and moderate-income Americans, including seniors, children, and people who do not get insurance at work, the opportunity to get health insurance at little or no cost if their state does not offer coverage under Medicaid. Just 13-21% are opposed. Supporters include a plurality or majority of independents (48-62%) and Republicans (41-58%).

A majority of voters in all four states (ranging from 57% in West Virginia to 70% in Delaware) say they support the overall Build Back Better plan, which would provide paid family and medical leave, expand Medicare coverage for seniors including dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and lower health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 709 Arizona voters on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 8-9, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 3.7%. 52% of interviews for the survey were conducted by text message and 48% by telephone.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 782 Delaware voters on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 8-10, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 3.5%. 50% of interviews for the survey were conducted by telephone and 50% by text message.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 720 New Jersey voters on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 8-10, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 3.7%. 50% of interviews for the survey were conducted by telephone and 50% by text message.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 960 West Virginia voters on behalf of Protect Our Care from October 8-9, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 3.2%. 50% of interviews for the survey were conducted by telephone and 50% by text message.

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 14 AT 11:00 AM EST***

Charleston, WV — On Thursday, October 14 at 11:00 ET, Protect Our Care Founder and Chair Leslie Dach and local advocates will join Protect Our Care West Virginia for a virtual press event, calling on Congress to deliver lower costs and better care to Americans by passing all of President Biden’s health care priorities in the Build Back Better budget package, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. New polling on behalf of Protect Our Care shows that 74% of West Virginians across party lines support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices.

Congress is closing in on a budget agreement that will transform the lives of West Virginians and American families nationwide. Giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices is the single most effective way to bring down drug prices, potentially saving patients more than $150 billion and creating $500 billion in savings for the federal government. 

Still, Big Pharma is ramping up its lobbying and scare tactics to protect its profits and lie to the American people. This event will make clear that this is not the time for half measures; Congress must give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans. 

PRESS EVENT: 

WHO:
Leslie Dach, Protect Our Care Founder and Chair
Dr. Jessica Ice, Executive Director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care
Ryan Frankenberry, State Coordinator for WV Working Families Party
Mindy Salango, West Virginia Patient and Advocate 

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference Calling on Congress to Lower Drug Prices

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Thursday, October 14 at 11:00 AM ET