***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13 AT 9:30 AM MT // 12:30 PM ET***
Phoenix, AZ — On Wednesday, October 13 at 9:30 AM MT // 12:30 PM ET, Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07) and local advocates will join 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.
Expanding access to quality, affordable health care has never been more critical. The pandemic has laid bare the high costs and alarming inequities in our health care system, and it has demonstrated that health care must be a right, not a privilege. President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting to make this a reality in Arizona, by working to include historic health care provisions in their budget reconciliation legislation.
President Biden’s Build Back Better proposal includes driving down prescription drug prices, expanding Medicare benefits to include vision, dental, and hearing, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, and dramatically lowering the cost of health insurance for millions.
VIRTUAL EVENT:
WHO: U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07) Dora Vasquez, Executive Director of Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans Laurie Wagner, Arizona Patient and Advocate Iesha Meza, Arizona Patient and Advocate
WHAT: Virtual Press Conference to Highlight How Historic Health Care Investments Will Impact Arizonans
WHEN: Wednesday, October 13 at 9:30 AM MST // 12:30 PM EDT
Protect Our Care Hosted Events in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
Protect Our Care continued its events and activities calling on members of Congress to meet the demands of their constituents and pass all of President Biden’s health care priorities in the Build Back Better legislation. Democrats are continuing to negotiate a final budget agreement that could give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, close 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. These proposals are overwhelmingly popular among voters of all parties and will extend access to health care for millions of Americans.
Through press calls, mobile billboards, radio ads, and other demonstrations, Protect Our Care made clear that all of the health care reforms are central to the popularity of the Build Back Better package. And with Republicans bought and paid for by Big Pharma and other special interests, we need every Democrat to keep up the fight. 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: Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association Will Humble joined the Arizona chapter of AARP on Morning Scoop for a press event highlighting the benefits for all consumers of allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. In Arizona, the cost of prescription drugs grew 69% faster than the average resident’s income from 2015 to 2019, forcing many to choose between medication and rent, groceries or other necessities.
WEBSITE AD TAKEOVER: Protect Our Care placed ads in the Arizona Capital Times 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 ads were placed in advance of an event with Will Humble, who appeared in a POC radio ad last week.
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.
PROTEST: On Thursday, Indivisible, Protect Our Care and constituents of California’s 52nd district protested outside of Rep. Scott Peters’s office for his opposition to giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. These protests will take place every Tuesday and Thursday until Rep. Peters does the right thing and supports all of the health care priorities in the Build Back Better Act.
RADIO AD: Protect Our Care extended its radio ad campaign calling out Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA-52) for his opposition to giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans — a proposal supported by over 90% of all Americans and central to President Biden’s Build Back Better proposal.
MOBILE BILLBOARD: On Wednesday, a mobile billboard sponsored by Protect Our Care appeared outside of the Wilmington Amtrak station urging Senator Carper to support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans.
FLORIDA
PRESS CALL: On Wednesday, a group of healthcare advocates, medical professionals, and faith leaders in Central Florida held a virtual event urging Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-07) to be a champion for lowering prescription drug prices and expanding Medicare and Medicaid by voting for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
MOBILE BILLBOARD: On Tuesday, Protect Our Care’s mobile billboard appeared at an event sponsored by Our Revolution in front of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) Jersey City office calling on the senator to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to New Jersey’s seniors and families who struggle to afford their medications by giving Medicare the power to negotiate.
NEW YORK
RADIO AD: Protect Our Care extended its radio ad campaign calling out Representative Kathleen Rice (D-NY-04) for her failure to support giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans.
PRESS CALL: On Wednesday, Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) joined local health care advocates for a virtual roundtable to highlight how the health provisions included in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act will lower costs and expand access to health care in Pennsylvania and across the country.
RADIO AD: Protect Our Care announced a new radio ad today 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.
Big Pharma has ramped up their lobbying and their lies around drug pricing as Congress closes in on a budget agreement that has the potential to provide relief to consumers struggling with sky-high drug prices. Giving Medicare the power to negotiate is the single most effective way to lower drug prices for patients. With Republicans bought and paid for, every Democrat in Congress needs to get on board with this overwhelmingly popular proposal. Editorials, lawmakers, advocates and patients across the country urge Congress to do the right thing and pass Medicare negotiation now.
EDITORIALS:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Time Has Come To Bargain Drug Prices. “Bringing down prescription drug prices has been a major kitchen-table issue for American consumers for years. When the 2019 bill was being debated, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that more than 85% of Americans favor allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies and using those negotiated prices for private citizens too. And politicians have long pushed for allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices — Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Barack Obama all campaigned on it.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/17/21]
New Jersey Star Ledger: Don’t Be Duped by Dark Money ‘Mediscare’ Ads: “Democrats aren’t cutting Medicare in their $3.5 trillion plan – they’re expanding it. They’re adding new dental, hearing and vision benefits to help folks like the nearly 20 percent of American seniors who have no teeth left. And they’d cover the cost of this by negotiating lower prices for prescriptions. So who is lobbing these lies? Thanks to laws that hide the identity of the sponsors, we can’t know for sure, but who could it be aside from Big Pharma?” [NJ.com, 10/6/21]
The Press Democrat: Let Medicare Negotiate Cheaper Drug Prices. “The federal government could save up to $450 billion over 10 years if Medicare could negotiate drug prices. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the provision also would increase federal revenues by $45 billion by lowering costs for employer-provided health care plans and increasing employees’ taxable incomes. Beneficiaries would pay less, too. Polls shows near-universal support among Democrats for giving Medicare the power to negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical industry, but that change has remained elusive, even as part of a reconciliation package that Democrats can pass with no Republican votes.” [The Press Democrat, 10/1/21]
OP-EDS:
U.S. Reps. Brown and Mfume in the Baltimore Sun: Congress Must Act to Lower Prescription Drug Prices. “It’s long past time Congress acted decisively to make prescription medications more affordable to save lives and ensure families can afford the medicines they need to care for themselves and their families. Fortunately, there’s a tangible fix to this problem: Empower Medicare to negotiate for lower prices with the pharmaceutical industry…It doesn’t have to be this way. It’s long past time for Congress to fix this problem by applying a common-sense approach: allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for all Americans.” [The Baltimore Sun, 9/7/21]
U.S. Reps. Allred, Axne, Davids, Kim and Spanberger in The Washington Post: Opinion: End The Monopoly. Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices. “The current system is broken, and it is harming Americans. But now, Congress can stand on the side of consumers and take decisive action to lower prescription drug costs for millions of Americans. By giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, Congress can make sure patients come first.” [The Washington Post, 9/23/21]
Orlando Sentinel: Op-Ed: Rep. Murphy, Please Vote to Lower Prescription Costs. “As I am currently in the Medicaid gap for coverage, I pay almost 80% of the cost of my medication to treat my diabetes and heart condition, which totals over $500a month. That is an extremely high cost just to stay alive, and it has given me financial difficulties to both afford my medicine and stay on top of my bills. I know I’m not alone. Americans pay three times more for prescription drugs than people in other countries, and far too many are forced to make impossible choices between accessing lifesaving prescription drugs or putting food on the table or paying rent.” [Orlando Sentinel, 10/07/21]
Delaware Business Times: Op-Ed: First State in Need of Drug Pricing Reform. “A recent report from West Health found that 25% of Delaware residents couldn’t afford a prescription given to them by their doctor and that over 146,000 respondents in the state chose not to seek treatment for medical issues because of the prohibitive cost of care. It’s clear Delawareans looking to fill their prescriptions need relief, and fortunately, the Biden administration and key senators, like Carper and Coons, are poised to take action.” [Delaware Business Times, 9/20/21]
Reno Gazette Journal: Op-Ed: Nevadans of All Ages Need Lower Drug Prices. “Lawmakers have no good excuse for leaving anyone behind, watering down reform or kowtowing to industry demands for minimal change. The prescription drug industry is the most profitable sector in the nation, outpacing profit margins in some other industries by double digits. A recent study showed that drug corporations could make $1 trillion less in sales and still be the most profitable industry in the nation.” [Reno Gazette Journal, 9/27/21]
Delaware Online: Op-Ed: Congress Must Act Now to Lower Prescription Drug Prices. “Congress must address drug prices to make health care more affordable. Families deserve the best care and treatment possible for their loved ones. This crisis impacts every American family, community and business. It is a universal issue that is growing. A June poll by West Health found that one in four Delaware families were unable to afford a necessary prescription over the last year and 67% said they believe prescription drug prices are continuing to climb. The stress and anxiety created by the financial cost for medications and insurance is one that we must continue to address across both the state and federal government.” [Delaware Online, 9/27/21]
Statesman Journal: Op-Ed: The Problem With Rep. Schrader’s Shifting Priorities on Lowering Drug Prices. “After supporting similar legislation in 2019, Schrader has shifted his priorities, opting to protect drug corporations’ power to control drug prices and doing nothing to lower prices for the hundreds of millions of non-seniors who are also struggling. After voting for an earlier version of the Lower Drug Costs Now Act last Congress, he’s now proposing a bill that would severely limit the number of drug prices that could be negotiated and the number of Americans who would benefit.” [Statesman Journal, 10/1/21]
Morgantown Resident and Type I Diabetic Mindy Salango Shares Her Story to Show Why Senator Manchin’s Leadership is Essential to Pass Medicare Negotiation
West Virginia — Protect Our Care announced a new radio ad today 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 West Virginians pay three times more for drugs than people in other countries while drug companies charge exorbitant prices for lifesaving medications like insulin. Mindy makes clear that giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices is the solution to the broken drug pricing system. Democrats’ proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices is supported by 90% of all Americans and remains central to President Biden’s Build Back Better Act.
The ad comes as Congress is closing in on legislation that will transform the lives of American families nationwide. President Biden and Democrats are leading the charge to include Medicare negotiation and other key health care priorities in the Build Back Better package, but the fight is not over: Big Pharma is fighting back with lobbying and scare tactics to protect its profits and lie to the American people. The ad makes clear that Senator Manchin must hold strong in his support for the health care provisions of the Build Back Better Act, including giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans. The ad will run statewide beginning on Friday, October 8.
“Patients like Mindy illustrate why bold action to bring down drug prices is so important. Across West Virginia, families are making impossible choices between affording prescription drugs or putting food on the table — that’s no way to live, said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Senator Manchin has made clear giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices is not only commonsense policy, but the right thing to do. Now, it’s time for Senator Manchin to deliver on his promise and fight to get this over the finish line and help pass the Build Back Better Act so millions of Americans no longer have to worry about affording the medications they need to survive.”
Script for “Mindy” Ad (60s):
Too many West Virginians wake up everyday and have to make a heartbreaking choice:
Should I pay the rent or should I pay for my medication that keeps me alive?
My name is Mindy Salango and I’m a Type 1 diabetic.
Even though I have health insurance, I still spend about $350 every month paying for my prescription medications, insulin and other diabetes supplies I need to stay healthy and alive.
The thought of not being able to afford my medication is terrifying.
West Virginians are suffering because of high prescription drug costs. We pay 3-times more than people in other countries for the same drugs. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Congress can give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices for West Virginia families.
Senator Manchin has told us he’s with us on this. Now, we’re counting on him to get it done.
***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 3:30 PM ET***
Philadelphia, PA — Today, October 6 at 3:30 PM ET, U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-PA-07) will headline a virtual roundtable to highlight how historic health care provisions included in the Democrats’ budget reconciliation legislation will lower costs and expand access for Pennsylvanians. Local health care advocates from For Our Future Pennsylvania, Protect Our Care Pennsylvania, MomsRising, The Pennsylvania Health Access Network, and The 99% Campaign will join Rep. Wild, illustrating the growing momentum for President Biden’s Build Back Better plan.
The Build Back Better proposal includes driving down prescription drug prices, expanding Medicare benefits to include vision, dental, and hearing, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, dramatically lowering the cost of health insurance for millions, and increasing the accessibility and affordability of home health and child care.
This event will showcase how President Biden and the Democrats are fighting to make affordable health care a reality in Pennsylvania through historic health care provisions included in their budget reconciliation legislation.
VIRTUAL EVENT:
WHO: U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-PA-07) Ashley McBride, For Our Future Pennsylvania State Director Michael Berman, Protect Our Care Pennsylvania Karen Showalter, Moms Rising The Pennsylvania Health Access Network The 99% Pennsylvania Campaign of the PA Budget & Policy Center
WHAT: Virtual Roundtable to Highlight How Historic Health Care Investments Included in Democrats’ Budget Legislation Will Impact Pennsylvanians
***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 11:00 AM ET***
Coalition Will Call on U.S. Rep. Murphy to Support the Build Back Better Agenda, Including Lowering Prescription Drug Prices via Medicare Negotiations and Medicaid Expansion
Orlando, FL — Today, Wednesday October 6 11:00 AM ET, healthcare advocates, medical professionals, and faith leaders in Central Florida will hold a virtual event urging U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-07) to support lowering prescription drug prices and expanding Medicaid by voting for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
Through the reconciliation bill currently being debated in Congress, Democrats are committed to lowering drug prices for American families. Though Representative Murphy voted for H.R. 3 in 2019, she has since indicated that she may not be supportive of similar healthcare measures in the current reconciliation package.
In Florida, there is currently overwhelming, bipartisan support for Medicare negotiation and the need to lower prescription drug prices in Representative Murphy’s district. Last month, a poll released by Public Policy Polling confirmed that voters in Representative Murphy’s district overwhelmingly support giving Medicare the power to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans. This event will make clear that Representative Murphy must deliver on her promises to her constituents and all Americans by supporting the Build Back Better Agenda.
VIRTUAL EVENT:
WHO: Janice Poirier, Ed.S., President Florida Education Association Retired, National Education Association Retired Executive Council Donesa Jackson, Regional VP of Central Florida for Florida Alliance for Retired Americans Rev. Dr. Russel Meyer, Executive Director of Florida Council of Churches Scott Darius, Executive Director for Florida Voices for Health
WHAT: Virtual Event Calling on U.S. Rep. Murphy to Support the Build Back Better Agenda, Including Lowering Prescription Drug Prices via Medicare Negotiations and Medicaid Expansion
Protect Our Care Continued to Urge Senators Sinema (D-AZ) and Menendez (D-NJ) to Lower Prescription Drug Costs with Website Ad Takeover, Radio Ad, Mobile Billboard, Press Events
Protect Our Care continued its events and activities calling on Congress to deliver lower costs and better care to American families by passing all of President Biden’s health care priorities in the Build Back Better budget package. Democrats are closing in on a budget agreement that could give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, close 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. These proposals are overwhelmingly popular among voters of all parties.
Today’s events made clear that all of these health care reforms are essential to the success of the Build Back Better package. And with Republicans bought and paid for by Big Pharma and other special interests, we need every Democrat to keep up the fight. Protect Our Care will continue to ensure that lawmakers understand the importance of lowering drug prices and expanding care and hold those that fight reform accountable.
ARIZONA
WEBSITE AD TAKEOVER: Protect Our Care placed ads today in the Arizona Capital Times 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 ads were placed in advance of an event with Will Humble, who appeared in a POC radio ad last week.
PRESS EVENT: Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association, joined the Arizona chapter of AARP on Morning Scoop for a press event highlighting the benefits for all consumers of allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. In Arizona, the cost of prescription drugs grew 69% faster than the average resident’s income from 2015 to 2019, forcing many to choose between medication and rent, groceries or other necessities.
NEW JERSEY
MOBILE BILLBOARD: A mobile billboard sponsored by Protect Our Care appeared at an event sponsored by Our Revolution in front of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) Jersey City office calling on the senator to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to New Jersey’s seniors and families who struggle to afford their medications. This event made it clear that Senator Menendez must not cower to the demands of drug companies and deliver on his promises to his constituents and all Americans.
**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 5 AT 11:00 AM EST**
Protect Our Care to Urge Senator Menendez to Support Medicare Negotiations to Bring Down Drug Prices With Mobile Billboard with Advocates Outside of Jersey City Office
9 Out Of 10 New Jersey Voters Support Allowing Medicare To Negotiate; 78% Think Drug Prices Are Unreasonable
Jersey City, NJ — A mobile billboard and event with constituents sponsored by Protect Our Care will appear in front of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) Jersey City office on Tuesday, October 5, calling on the senator to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to New Jersey’s seniors and families who struggle to afford their medications. The mobile billboard will be circling his office at 11:00AM EST, and it will join constituents and advocates who are urging the senator to support Medicare negotiations to lower drug prices on prescription drugs.
These actions come as Congress is closing in on a budget agreement that will transform the lives of American families nationwide. President Biden and Democrats are leading the charge to include Medicare negotiation and other key health care priorities in the Build Back Better package, but the fight is not over: 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 Senator Menendez must not cower to the demands of drug companies and deliver on her promises to her constituents and all Americans.
Event Details:
WHO: Protect Our Care Concerned Citizens
WHAT: Protect Our Care to Urge Senator Menendez to Support Medicare Negotiations and Bring Down Drug Prices With Mobile Billboard and Protest District Office
WHERE: 210 Hudson Street, Harborside 3, Jersey City, NJ 07302
WHEN: Tuesday October 5 at 11:00 AM EST
The mobile billboard outside Senator Menendez’s district office comes on the heels of a new polling project showing the overwhelming, bipartisan support for this reform across New Jersey. With this project and interactive map, Senator Menendez and his constituents can now find the level of backing for Medicare negotiation, opinions about pharmaceutical companies, concerns about Congress failing to act, and belief in pharma’s top arguments. The project was conducted by Data for Progress on behalf of Protect Our Care and Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
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