February 2023

Big drug companies have been ripping us off for years and are now trying to protect their profits with scare tactics and lies. Big drug companies spent over $100 million trying to kill the Inflation Reduction Act, and now they are spending even more to undercut the new law. Their efforts would: (1) increase drug costs and Medicare premiums for seniors by thousands of dollars a year, (2) increase the deficit, and (3) increase drug companies’ profits at the the expense of seniors’ health and financial well-being. 

The Biden-Harris Administration and Congressional Democrats succeeded in enacting legislation that saves lives, lowers prescription drug costs for seniors, and puts thousands of dollars per year back into the pockets of Americans — the greatest health care achievement since the passage of the Affordable Care Act. 

The Inflation Reduction Act:

1. Caps seniors’ monthly insulin costs at $35 per month.
2. Provides free recommended vaccinations to seniors.
3. Caps seniors’ out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year starting in 2025. 
4. Prevents price gouging by requiring drug companies to pay rebates to Medicare if they increase their prices faster than inflation.
5. Gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices for millions of Americans. 
6. Reduces the deficit by billions of dollars.

The drug industry is already spending heavily on lobbying to gut the law. Their main focus is undermining negotiations. They want to postpone negotiations for years over the price of some of the most expensive drugs. Currently, small molecule drugs (generally, retail prescription drugs sold in pill form and covered under Part D) are eligible for price negotiation once they have been on the market for 9 years; the drug industry wants to lengthen that period to 13 years to be consistent with biologic drugs, which are more complex to manufacture and are the biggest driver of rising drug spending. 

• If big drug companies and policymakers desire an even playing field among all drug types, all excessively priced drugs, including biologics, should be aligned with the 9 year negotiation eligibility rule currently in place for traditional small molecule drugs.

If big drug companies get their way, drug costs and premiums will increase for seniors and people with disabilities covered by Medicare. Delaying the eligibility period for Medicare negotiation would reduce the number of drugs eligible for negotiation and prevent some of the highest prices from being lowered. For example, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s atrial fibrillation drug, Eliquis, would not be eligible for lower drug price applicability in 2026 if the drug industry succeeded in rolling back the Inflation Reduction Act. More than 2.6 million seniors would face higher out-of-pocket costs for the drug for an additional four years. Watering down the new law would also lead to higher Medicare premiums.

Seniors reject drug companies’ argument that negotiation threatens innovation. AARP’s 2023 survey of their 38 million members re-affirms that Republican and Democratic voters reject the drug industry’s argument that lower prices will kill innovation. 

• Only 23% think it will have a negative impact on innovation. 
• 72% believe high drug prices are a result of price gouging by the drug industry.

The drug industry claims that Medicare negotiation will hurt innovation are false. CBO estimates that over the next 30 years, FDA will approve about 1,285 drugs, about 15 fewer drugs than would come to market without the negotiation program. Furthermore, experts agree that the U.S. market will always be the most generous payer and, thus, will continue to provide huge incentives and rewards for true innovation.

The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is designed to reward innovation. The new law gives drug companies at least nine years to recoup their research and development investments and earn profits before becoming eligible for Medicare negotiation. Recent research shows that cancer drugs recover their research and development costs within five years, allowing ample time for drug makers to earn high returns on valuable therapies. Moreover, the argument that drug makers need to set prices high to cover research and development costs is not supported by the evidence  – research shows no correlation between a drug’s price and its research and development costs. For decades, big drug companies have made massive profits by introducing “me too” drugs that don’t provide significant new clinical benefits. Over 60% of the drugs listed on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines are me-too drugs. Congress designed the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program to reward and incentivize true innovation by requiring CMS to consider “unmet medical needs” and a drug’s comparative effectiveness and benefits over other similar drugs, encouraging drug manufacturers to invest bringing truly innovative therapies to market. 

Without Medicare savings from negotiation, Congress couldn’t afford the cost of the bill’s other drug benefits. The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation and Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Programs reduce some of drug companies’ outrageous profits, and use those savings to deliver better benefits to seniors like lower premiums, a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap, a $35 cap on insulin costs, and free recommended vaccines. Weakening negotiation would undermine these benefits and add to the deficit. 

Watch the Full Event Here. 

Washington, DC — Today, U.S. House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06) and U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07) joined Protect Our Care for a press call to discuss the ongoing efforts to expand the Inflation Reduction Act’s insulin savings to every American. During the call, speakers discussed how lowering insulin costs is especially important for people of color, who disproportionately suffer from diabetes and are more likely to skip, ration, or completely forgo insulin as a result of outrageous costs.

The event is part of Protect Our Care’s “Fortnight of Action” to showcase the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap, which benefits more than three million seniors nationwide. Republicans in Congress blocked a provision that would have extended the cap to people with private insurance, but President Biden and Democrats in Congress are now fighting to extend these savings to an estimated 21 million patients who rely on insulin. Read more about the lifesaving policy here. 

“Every American deserves to have access to quality, affordable health care and life-saving prescription medication. Matthew 25:45 teaches us, ‘whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Congressional Democrats, under the leadership of President Biden, capped the monthly price of insulin for seniors on Medicare at $35. Next, we must build on the historic Inflation Reduction Act and extend the affordability of this life-saving medication to everyone who needs it,” said Congressman James E. Clyburn. “Our public health depends on the extension of the insulin cap to those on private insurance and the expansion of Medicaid to the 11 states — including South Carolina — that have refused to close the coverage gap. Now is the time to act.”

“The cost of health care can be the difference between putting a kid through college and affording treatment, and that just simply should not happen. It’s why I’m so proud to have led a bill that kept the cost of insulin at $35 a month for our seniors. We’re continuing this fight to make this life-saving drug more available and more affordable because there’s no time off. When you live with diabetes, it’s a constant ever present disease that influences every aspect of your life,” said U.S. Representative Lucy McBath.“This is about saving lives. We’re here today to continue this fight for those who sent us to Washington on their behalf and we’ll continue to do this work to expand savings for these life-saving drugs because the American people deserve it.” 

“My daughter was diagnosed at eight years old with type-1 diabetes. When she was diagnosed, we were paying $1,500 a month for insulin. This is not counting the test strips to check blood sugars and all the other stuff that comes with diabetes. So a lot of us turn to groups online to ask for help. I’ve had people from Canada and Colorado send us insulin. We are the most powerful nation in the world. Health care should not be a card game,” said Elise Oberdorfer-Douglas from Atlanta, GA.

“For too long, Big Pharma has been pulling the strings, putting their sky-high profits above the needs of real people,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “While Republicans in Congress are doing everything in their power to roll back the Inflation Reduction Act’s insulin savings and block any new legislation to lower drug prices, Democrats are working on behalf of hardworking families to ensure everyone can afford the medications they need to stay healthy.” 

New Navigator polling reveals overwhelming bipartisan support for extending the Inflation Reduction Act’s cap on the prices of insulin for seniors to everyone regardless of age. Across political parties, race, ethnicity, and age groups, the support for lowering insulin costs for every American is astonishingly clear. The price cap on insulin for people on Medicare began on January 1, 2023, helping 3.2 million insulin users afford this life-saving medication. 

Protect Our Care is highlighting the importance of lower insulin costs during the Fortnight of Action from February 14 to 28. The Inflation Reduction Act capped monthly insulin copays for seniors on Medicare, but an estimated 21 million Americans who use insulin will not benefit from these savings as a result of Republicans in Congress who blocked a provision to extend the cap to those with private insurance. Lowering insulin costs is especially important for people of color, who disproportionately suffer from diabetes and are more likely to skip, ration, or completely forgo insulin as a result of outrageous costs.

In a country where 80 percent of diabetics have had to go into debt in order to pay for insulin, this type of action by Republicans puts Big Pharma’s profits over real people. This new polling confirms that expanding the insulin copay cap is highly popular and that lawmakers should build on the momentum and extend it so everyone is guaranteed life-saving insulin at an affordable cost.

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 AT 11:30 AM ET***

Call Will Also Address Republican Efforts to Slash Medicare and Medicaid

Washington, DC — On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, U.S. House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06) and U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07) will join patient advocates and Protect Our Care for a press call to discuss the ongoing efforts to expand the Inflation Reduction Act’s insulin savings to every American. The event is part of Protect Our Care’s “Fortnight of Action” to showcase the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap that benefits more than three million seniors nationwide. Lowering insulin costs are especially important for people of color, who disproportionately suffer from diabetes and are more likely to skip, ration, or completely forgo insulin as a result of outrageous costs. Read more about the lifesaving policy here. 

Last year, Republicans in Congress blocked a provision that would have extended the cap to people with private insurance — once again putting Big Pharma’s profits over real people. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting to extend these savings to everyone. This would be a key step to ensuring access to the medicine an estimated 21 million patients need to thrive.

PRESS CALL:

WHO:
U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06)
U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07)
Elise Oberdorfer-Douglas, Patient Storyteller
Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care 

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference 

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Tuesday, February 21 at 11:30 AM ET

Meanwhile, Most Republicans Voted Against the Omnibus Bill that Actually Halted Medicare Cuts

Washington DC — Today, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released ads targeting Senate Democrats with lies alleging Democrats want to make cuts to Medicare. The NRSC ads falsely claim that Joe Biden and Democrats in the Senate wanted to slash $36 billion in Medicare funds. The truth is that the December 2022 omnibus spending package prevented these cuts and rolled back scheduled Medicare payment cuts to physicians. Most Senate Republicans and all but nine House Republicans voted against this bill. Meanwhile, Republicans in the House and the Senate have repeatedly proposed serious cuts to Medicare. In response, Protect Our Care Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“The GOP record on Medicare is so atrocious and unpopular, it’s no surprise that they’re once again resorting to spreading lies. This new ad campaign is attempting to scare seniors with false claims about President Biden and Democrats slashing Medicare when in reality most Republicans in Congress voted against the bill that prevented these cuts. Republicans may want to rewrite history for their political benefit but it’s no secret that Republicans are putting Medicare on the chopping block. Over the last several months alone, Republicans have repeatedly proposed serious cuts to Medicare, which would rip away basic benefits seniors have worked their whole lives to earn.”

BACKGROUND:

Republicans Are Lying About Democrats Cutting Medicare

• Republicans are claiming falsely that pandemic relief will lead to cuts in Medicare due to a law called PAYGO
• In fact, the 2022 omnibus spending package halted these automatic PAYGO cuts for Medicare
• The 2022 omnibus also rolled back Medicare payment cuts for physicians, meaning the entire basis for the Republican argument is false

Nearly Every Republican Voted Against Protecting Medicare

• All but nine House Republicans voted against the omnibus bill protecting Medicare from spending cuts as the PHE ended
• More than half of Republican Senators also voted against the 2022 omnibus bill, while every single Democrat voted for it

Republicans Continue to Push to Cuts to Medicare

• The Republican Study Committee, representing over 160 Republicans in Congress, has advocated for Medicare cuts as recently as November of 2022 during omnibus negotiations.
• Republican leaders and recognizable faces like Rick Scott, Mike Pence, Mike Lee, Lindsey Graham, Ron Johnson, and Marco Rubio have all called for cuts to Medicare programs
• In January of 2023, 12 elected Republicans, from Buddy Carter to Brett Guthrie called for cuts to Medicare during debt ceiling negotiations with Barry Loudermilk claiming that “everything was on the table” when it came to cuts
• While Rick Scott wants to pretend sunsetting Medicare won’t lead to cuts, likening it to military spending, Representative Todd Emmer has said the quiet part out loud that “Republicans will not impact defense spending aside from efficiencies and waste. It’s the domestic spending that we’re going to go after.”

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 AT 11:30 AM ET***

Call Will Also Address Republican Efforts to Slash Medicare and Medicaid

Washington, DC — On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, U.S. House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06) and U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07) will join patient advocates and Protect Our Care for a press call to discuss the ongoing efforts to expand the Inflation Reduction Act’s insulin savings to every American. The event is part of Protect Our Care’s “Fortnight of Action” to showcase the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap that benefits more than three million seniors nationwide. Lowering insulin costs are especially important for people of color, who disproportionately suffer from diabetes and are more likely to skip, ration, or completely forgo insulin as a result of outrageous costs. Read more about the lifesaving policy here. 

Last year, Republicans in Congress blocked a provision that would have extended the cap to people with private insurance — once again putting Big Pharma’s profits over real people. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting to extend these savings to everyone. This would be a key step to ensuring access to the medicine an estimated 21 million patients need to thrive.

PRESS CALL:

WHO:
U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06)
U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07)
Reverend Leela Waller, Patient Storyteller
Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care 

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference 

WHERE: Register for the Event Here

WHEN: Tuesday, February 21 at 11:30 AM ET

Medicare Advantage Plans Drive Insurance Companies’ Sky-High Profits and Have Long History of Fraud and Abuse

Washington DC — Over the past several weeks, the insurance industry has been running a massive advertising campaign to scare seniors into believing the Biden Administration is cutting Medicare. Republicans in Congress are echoing these claims to protect insurance company profits. 

In reality, the Administration is proposing to increase spending on Medicare Advantage by approximately $4 billion while protecting the program from overpayments, fraud, and abuse by big insurance companies. These efforts will improve the quality of Medicare Advantage plans – particularly for underserved populations, strengthen program integrity, and save the Medicare Trust Fund over $15 billion. In response, Protect Our Care Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“It is shameful that insurance companies — with the full support of Republicans in Congress — are running a multi-million dollar disinformation campaign to scare seniors in an effort to protect their sky-high profits. Only the greediest corporations could characterize a $4 billion increase as a ‘cut.’ Meanwhile, these same insurance companies have been accused of fraud and abuse in their management of Medicare Advantage for years. It’s no surprise that Republicans are echoing these falsehoods as part of their campaign to defund Medicare. While the Biden administration is strengthening Medicare, Republicans want to cut Medicare and threaten the health and well-being of millions of seniors.” 

Read the full fact sheet here.

The Reality is Spending for Medicare Advantage is Going Up, Medicare Advantage Profits are Through the Roof, and Evidence of Fraud By Insurance Companies is Widespread

The insurance industry and their Republican supporters in Congress are trying to scare seniors into believing the Biden administration is cutting Medicare. In fact, the Biden administration is proposing to increase spending on Medicare Advantage by $4 billion. The Biden administration is also standing up to long term insurance company fraud and abuse in Medicare Advantage. Their efforts will improve the quality of Medicare Advantage plans – particularly for people struggling to make ends meet. It will also strengthen program integrity, and save the Medicare Trust Fund over $15 billion. 

Big Insurers and the GOP Falsely Claim That the Administration Is Cutting Medicare Advantage, but It’s an Over $4 Billion Increase. On February 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 1.03% increase in its 2024 Advance Notice with Proposed Payment Updates for Medicare Advantage. CMS’s proposed payment increase translates to around $4 billion additional dollars for Medicare Advantage in 2024. This follows two years of even larger payment increases of 8.5% for 2023 and 4.08% for 2022. Medicare Advantage payments to insurers translate to the highest gross margins of any insurance product. Politifact rated a tweet from Senator Tom Cotton that said President Biden is proposing cuts to Medicare Advantage as “false.” The proposed changes to Medicare Advantage are not cuts but instead, aim to solidify the program’s integrity and payment accuracy. 

Republicans Are On The Record Promising To Cut Medicare. Republicans have been working for years to cut Medicare. Senator Rick Scott has proposed “sunsetting” all federal legislation, including Medicare, every five years and subjecting it to congressional reapproval. Senator Ron Johnson would go even further and subject Medicare to the annual appropriations process. Dozens of House Republicans have proposed using the upcoming debt limit debate to force cuts to Medicare and Social Security and just last year the influential Republican Study Committee released a budget that included radical changes to Medicare and Social Security, including raising the eligibility age. 

Republicans Care More About The Profits Of The Insurance Industry Than They Care About America’s Seniors. Some of the same Republicans who have proposed cuts to Medicare are now rushing to defend the insurance industry’s Medicare Advantage profits. Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. Kevin Hern has repeatedly called the administration’s proposed Medicare Advantage payment plan a “cut” that will “slash” Medicare and the “first step” to forcing all Americans into a Medicare for All plan. One of Hern’s top financial backers is the insurance industry. Senators Tom Cotton and Steve Daines have also toed the insurance industry line by attacking the Biden administration’s plan to strengthen Medicare advantage and improve the quality of the program. 

The Administration’s Stewardship Of The Medicare Program Will Save The Medicare Trust Fund Over $15 Billion. Auditing Medicare Advantage plans and recouping overpayments is a commonsense way to preserve Medicare Trust Fund dollars for seniors who rely on Medicare, not greedy corporations. The Biden administration’s policies protect Medicare solvency. 

Medicare Advantage Drives Massive Insurance Industry Profits. A 2020 report from Fierce Healthcare found that the top health insurers raked in $35.7 billion in profits over the course of 2019 due to the growth of Medicare Advantage – six out of seven major insurers saw “notable growth” in their Medicare Advantage enrollment. 

• Humana Made Billions In Profits In 2022 Driven By Medicare Advantage: In the third quarter of 2022, Humana reported nearly $1.2 billion “largely due to growth in its Medicare Advantage health plans and lower than expected medical expenses.” Medicare Advantage plans form a large share of Humana’s business, and the company projects it will add another 625,000 members to its Medicare Advantage plan in 2023, 13.7% higher compared with 2022. 
• Medicare Advantage Plans Are The Most Profitable Part Of The Health Insurance Business: A 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation study found that of the four private health insurance markets, the Medicare Advantage market has the highest gross margins, averaging $1,730 per enrollee per year in 2021.  Average gross margins — the average amount by which premium income exceeds yearly claims costs for each covered person — are considered a critical benchmark for insurer financial performance. The average gross margin for the Medicare Advantage market was about double the gross margins of the other three markets, pegged at $689 per covered person in the group market, $745 per covered person for the individual market, and $768 in Medicaid Managed Care.

Most Large Insurers In The Medicare Advantage Program Have Been Accused Of Padding Their Profits With Fraud. A 2022 New York Times review of dozens of fraud lawsuits, inspector general audits, and investigations by watchdogs showed how major health insurers have exploited Medicare Advantage to inflate their profits by billions of dollars. The government pays Medicare Advantage insurers a set amount for each person who enrolls, with higher rates for sicker patients. The insurers, among the largest and most prosperous American companies, have developed elaborate systems to make their patients appear as sick as possible, often without providing additional treatment. Eight of the 10 biggest Medicare Advantage insurers — representing more than two-thirds of the market — have submitted inflated bills, according to federal audits. And four of the five largest players — UnitedHealth, Humana, Elevance, and Kaiser — have faced federal lawsuits alleging that efforts to overdiagnose their customers crossed the line into fraud. The fifth company, CVS Health, which owns Aetna, told investors its practices were being investigated by the Department of Justice.

• Insurers May Use Medicare Advantage To Pad Their Bottom Line By Disguising Profits As Costs. A 2022 report from the Brookings Institution indicated the five major insurers providing Medicare Advantage plans – UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, and Elevance Health (formerly Anthem) – are padding their bottom lines by disguising profits as costs. Insurers are able to do this because profits accrued through related businesses are not regulated by medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements. In certain cases, spending on related businesses can reach more than 70%, the report noted. The top 5 companies have related businesses, including pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), post-acute providers, hospitals, and physician practices. “In each case, the prices charged to the Medicare Advantage plan can have a material effect on where profits and costs appear,” the report said. “This creates potential to move earnings outside the reach of regulations.”
• Senate Report Finds Insurers Engage In Deceptive Marketing Practices. A November 2022 report by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden found insurers used deceptive marketing practices to enroll seniors and seniors’ complaints to CMS doubled between 2020 and 2021. 

The Biden Administration Is Reining In Insurance Company Excess And Fraud And Protecting Medicare From Corporate Profiteering. CMS should be applauded for protecting the Medicare Trust Fund from being raided by greedy corporations. Medicare Advantage has been a cash cow for big insurance companies, and CMS’s stewardship of Medicare Advantage reflects a commitment to good governance and improving the quality of the program for seniors who choose Medicare Advantage. In finalizing new changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) program and through the annual payment update, CMS is restarting standard program integrity activities like those they conduct with other Medicare and Medicaid programs, holding insurers accountable and strengthening the integrity of the Medicare Advantage program. Medicare Advantage plans now administer nearly half of the Medicare program and receive more than $420 billion in payments per year. No risk adjustment overpayments have been collected from Medicare Advantage organizations since 2007, despite audits that show seniors’ medical records do not consistently support the diagnosis reported by their insurer. 

Overpayments To Medicare Advantage Plans Lead To Higher Premiums For Traditional Medicare And Disproportionately Hurt Rural Seniors. When Medicare Advantage sponsors are overpaid, premiums for seniors with traditional Medicare increase. In effect, fee-for-service Medicare enrollees subsidize Medicare Advantage enrollees. Americans residing in rural areas are less likely to have access to Medicare Advantage, so are disproportionately hurt by overpayments to these plans.

Medicare Advantage Doesn’t Serve Black And Latino Populations Well. People who are on Medicare Advantage are disproportionately Black and Latino. However, research shows that compared to white seniors, insurers offer plans with lower quality ratings to racial and ethnic minority groups, who enroll in these low-rated plans more frequently than white seniors. Even the top-rated plans perform worse for minority seniors. And, even irrespective of plan ratings, Medicare Advantage doesn’t always serve seniors of color better. A December 2022 study found Black seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage have higher rates of avoidable hospital admissions than white seniors. Furthermore, while Medicare Advantage plans provide additional benefits, a January 2023 GAO report highlights that plans refuse to report the extent to which seniors actually use the supplemental benefits provided by Medicare Advantage plans. The Biden administration is improving Medicare Advantage for seniors of color by cracking down on deceptive marketing practices and strengthening access to behavioral health services by reducing wait times and improving care coordination and network adequacy. These improvements to Medicare Advantage for underserved populations are just one example of the administration’s commitment to advancing health equity stemming from an Executive Order President Biden issued on his first day in office and Health and Human Services’ subsequent Equity Action Plan to institutionalize and sustain a focus on equity over time.

Lacy McGee Was Invited by Senator Warnock Who Has Led the Fight for Lower Insulin Costs for All

Watch Lacy’s Story Here

Lacy McGee is an insulin user from Atlanta who attended President Biden’s State of the Union address as the guest of Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. She has previously been uninsured and, like so many Americans, struggled to afford her insulin prescription. Even when she was privately insured, Lacy continued to have a hard time affording this life-saving prescription. She has been forced to ration her insulin, use expired or friends’ leftover insulin, and even rely on the black market to obtain this lifesaving medication. Lacy’s story demonstrates the importance of extending the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap to everyone.

Protect Our Care is highlighting the importance of lower insulin costs over the next two weeks. The Inflation Reduction Act capped monthly insulin copays for seniors on Medicare — a game changer for more than three million people, but an estimated 21 million Americans who use insulin are blocked from these savings as a result of Republicans in Congress. Reverend Warnock has been a leader on lower insulin costs, sponsoring the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs, not just for seniors on Medicare, but for millions of diabetics with private insurance. He is a committed health care champion who is fighting for a future where quality, affordable health care is a reality for Georgians and all Americans.

Last year, Republicans in Congress blocked a provision that would have extended the cap to people with private insurance. In a country where 80 percent of diabetics have had to go into debt in order to pay for insulin, this type of action by Republicans puts Big Pharma’s profits over real people. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting to extend these savings to everyone.

When those who rely on insulin stop taking doses as prescribed because they cannot afford it, they suffer severe effects, such as numbness in their feet and nerve damage in the eyes. Taking insulin as prescribed reduces the likelihood of costly complications such as vision loss, heart disease, and kidney disease. Americans are dying as a result of high insulin costs. Read Protect Our Care’s fact sheet here.

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 AT 10:45 AM ET***

Lawmakers Have Long Promised to Rein in High Drug Prices, Lower Health Costs, and Expand Access — President Biden and Democrats Are Getting the Job Done.

LANSING, MI – On Thursday, Feb. 16, at 10:45 a.m. ET, Congressman Dan Kildee and policy advocates will join Protect Our Care Michigan to discuss how President Biden and Democrats in Congress have worked to pass historic health care measures, lower costs, and expand access to care in Michigan and across the country.  

This event comes after President Biden’s State of the Union address, where he celebrated the administration’s accomplishments and outlined further action to lower costs and improve care for people across the nation. Prior to the president’s address, Protect Our Care released its agenda for 2023, calling on Congress to keep up the momentum to lower health care costs, improve care, and advance health equity. 

In January, the Inflation Reduction Act’s lifesaving provision to cap insulin Medicare copays at $35 per month went into effect, benefiting more than 3 million seniors. Last year, Republicans in Congress blocked Congressman Kildee’s legislation which would have extended the cap to people with private insurance — putting Big Pharma’s profits over real people. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting to extend these savings to everyone. This would help an estimated 21 million patients afford this vital medication. 

PRESS CALL: 

WHO:
Dan Kildee, U.S. Congressman, Michigan’s Eighth District
Amber Bellazaire, Policy Analyst, Michigan League for Public Policy
Eric Schneidewind, Michigan Senior on Medicare 

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference 

WHEN: Wednesday, February 16, at 10:45 AM ET 

WHERE: Register to join the Zoom event (Registration required)