***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, JULY 25 at 10 AM MST // 1 PM EDT***
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Arizonans Are Saving on Health Care Costs
Phoenix, AZ– On Tuesday, July 25 at 10 AM MST // 1 PM EDT, U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) will join Protect Our Care Arizona, experts, and advocates to discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s next steps in implementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The administration released the final guidance outlining the process for negotiation, and by September 1, the ten drugs that are selected for the first round of price negotiations will be announced.
Speakers will also discuss a new fact sheet from Protect Our Care outlining how the Inflation Reduction Act reduces health care costs for Arizonans— with even more savings on the way as the law’s provisions to give Medicare the power to negotiate and cap seniors’ prescription drug costs take effect. The new fact sheet follows new polling that shows the health care measures in the Inflation Reduction Act are the most popular in the entire bill.
This event comes as big drug companies are attacking the Inflation Reduction Act in Congress and the courts. Pharmaceutical giants Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, and Johnson & Johnson-owned Janssen Pharmaceuticals, as well as the industry’s trade association PhRMA, are laser-focused on undermining the Inflation Reduction Act by filing lawsuits to protect their profits and stop the administration from negotiating lower drug prices. Big Pharma’s allies in Congress have already introduced legislation to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions, which would increase drug costs for millions of seniors.
PRESS CALL
WHO: U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) Will Humble, Executive Director, Arizona Public Health Association Dora Vasquez, Executive Director, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans Kathy Saulsberry, Arizona Patient, and Health Care Advocate
Republicans Promoting Junk Plans are Putting Big Insurance Company Profits Before Patients Once Again
This month, President Biden announced plans to rein in junk plans like short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans that were previously expanded and promoted by the Trump administration. The fact of the matter is simple: junk plans engage in predatory marketing practices, fail to protect people with pre-existing conditions, and put patients at risk of bankruptcy when they get sick.
In 2018, the Trump administration changed the rules to allow these plans to be sold like regular insurance and gutted funding for advertising Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans — to disastrous effect. Far from promoting “consumer protection” and “consumer choice,” the Trump administration exposed consumers to scams and reduced transparency about coverage limits and hidden fees. These plans are particularly harmful for communities of color and other marginalized groups who are more likely to have poorer health and to be living in poverty.
While some conservative voices claim that ending these rules could leave some uninsured, the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress have expanded access to no- or low-cost ACA coverage and funded outreach and enrollment so people are more likely to enroll in coverage that protects pre-existing conditions and less likely to get ripped off. Nearly 16.4 million people are enrolled in Marketplace coverage, including plans costing as little as $0 and $10/month. As the Biden administration works to lower health care costs and regulate these junk plans, Congressional Republicans are passing legislation to weaken protections for millions of people with pre-existing conditions and boost health insurance plans that aren’t required to cover prescription drugs or hospital care.
The Trump Administration Expanded Junk Plans and Gutted Funding For Advertising ACA Plans, Putting Consumers At Risk
The Trump Administration Cut Critical ACA Health Subsidies & Enabled Greater Access To Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI) Plans That Did Not Meet ACA Requirements. In late 2017, after Congressional Republicans’ efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) failed to advance, then-President Trump ordered sweeping changes to health insurance with a pair of executive actions. He first announced that the sale of certain cheap policies with few benefits or protections – known as short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) – would be allowed to be sold for up to 364 days with renewals for up to three years instead of three months, then announced cuts to critical health subsidies helping pay out-of-pocket costs for low-income people in America. In response, many patient and physicians groups raised concerns that junk plans would “cause significant economic harm to women and older, sicker Americans who stand to face higher-cost and fewer insurance options,” and “draw younger and healthier people away from the exchanges and drive additional plans out of the market.” The changes were solidified in August 2018 as a final rule allowing STLDI plans to be considered a form of individual health insurance coverage that would meet the ACA’s individual mandate.
Junk Plans Enabled By The Trump Administration Have Left Patients Without Protections For Pre-existing Conditions Afforded By the ACA. “Because they tend to look less expensive up front, short-term plans continue to find buyers, and they have been championed by the Trump administration (which has loosened restrictions on them) as an alternative for consumers. […] Consumer advocates have long sounded alarm bells about short-term plans and others that don’t comply with the Affordable Care Act rules — rules that require plans to provide comprehensive benefits to all comers, regardless of their health. The ACA also prohibits annual or lifetime dollar limits on coverage for any plan sold on the federal or state health insurance exchanges.” [NPR, 12/3/20]
Patient Advocacy Groups, Health Policy Experts, and Insurance Insiders Alike Have Warned Against Junk Plans’ Lack of Transparency and Coverage. Patient advocacy groups and health policy experts have long warned about the fraud risks that come with STLDI and other non-ACA-compliant plans. In January 2019, the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute found that consumers searching online for ACA-compliant plans were often directed, instead, to “junk plans.” Another study sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society found that junk plans often rely on misleading marketing, are often misunderstood by consumers who purchase them with no right to appeal plan decisions, drive up patients’ out-of-pocket costs, and “threaten prices across the insurance market.” In March 2021, 30 patient organizations published a report pushing for greater regulation of dozens of different types of “junk insurance,” including STLDI plans. Even health insurance industry insiders have warned that the “very profitable” plans are inadequate, and state insurance regulators have expressed concerns that STLDI plan administrators have been misleading and taking advantage of consumers while offering substandard coverage.
Ever Since The Trump Administration’s Rule Change,Junk Plans Have Attracted Fraud. Following the Trump administration’s rule change, health insurance companies across the country began offering STLDI plans to consumers. Shortly after the rule took effect, federal officials shut down numerous “ruinous” health insurance plans that falsely claimed to provide comprehensive health insurance, with one commissioner describing them as a “classic bait-and-switch scheme designed to trick consumers.”
2022: A Florida-Based Health Insurance Company That Scammed Patients was Forced To Refund $100 Million After An FTC Investigation. One company, Health Insurance Innovations Inc. (later known as Benefytt Technologies), began using junk plans to scam consumers into paying exorbitant fees, often without their permission, for little coverage using deceptive websites such as “Obamacareplans.com.” In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission ordered the company to pay $100 million in refunds to customers who fell victim to the scam.
The Biden Administration Has Worked To Promote Informed Consumer Choice By Expanding Access To ACA Marketplace Plans And Launching Outreach Campaigns
The Biden Administration Has Expanded Critical Health Subsidies Allowing Millions of People To Access No- or Low-Cost ACA Plans. “Low-income Americans who missed signing up for 2022 Affordable Care Act coverage can now enroll in plans with $0 premiums through the federal exchange’s website. Those with incomes less than 150% of the federal poverty level – $19,320 for an individual and $39,750 for a family of four – can select policies on healthcare.gov through a special enrollment period, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told CNN exclusively on Monday. Most people will be able to select plans with no premiums, while others may have to pay a few dollars.
The Biden Administration Has Promoted Informed Consumer Choice By Launching Advertising and Outreach Campaigns About Expanded ACA Access. “The agency is launching advertising and outreach campaigns to spread the word about the new special enrollment period, which lasts for the rest of the year. The effort will also target those experiencing certain life changes, such as losing job-based coverage, getting divorced or aging out of a parent’s policy, which have always allowed them to sign up for Obamacare policies during the year.” [CNN, 3/21/22]
While The Biden Administration Works To Lower Costs, Congressional Republicans Are Passing Legislation To Boost Junk Plans
The Biden Administration Is Working To Close Trump-Era Loopholes That Have Propped-Up Junk Plans. The Biden administration has worked to lower health care costs and crack down on “junk plans” like STLDI, proposing new rules closing Trump-era loopholes allowing health insurance companies to mislead patients and sell plans that provide very limited coverage. Under the new rules, STLDI plans will be limited to a maximum of 3 months – instead of 3 years as was allowed under the Trump administration – and will be required to disclose benefit limits as well as potential exposure to exorbitant surprise fees that disproportionately impact lower-income households and people of color.
…Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans Are Passing Legislation To Weaken Protections For Millions of People with Pre-Existing Conditions and Boost Health Insurance Plans That Fail To Cover Key Prescriptions & Hospital Care. In June 2023, Republicans held a markup on multiple pieces of legislation promoting “junk plans” that can discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and fail to cover essential services like hospital visits and prescription drugs in order to undermine the ACA. One of these bills would expand access to association health plans (AHPs), a type of junk plan that leaves behind sick and at-risk individuals and undermines the ACA. Another would promote the use of non-ACA-compliant plans and other self-funded benefit plans. Further, these types of plans exploit communities of color and other marginalized communities, making Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and LGBTQI+ people in America – who are more likely to be living in poverty than their White, heterosexual counterparts – more likely to face higher premiums.
Johnson & Johnson announced it raked in $25.53 billion this quarter – $900 million over its expected revenue – during their earnings report today. While they make billions, Americans pay exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs. Johnson & Johnson opposed the reforms that lower prescription drug prices, which were recently enacted by the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress.
During the call, CEO Joaquin Duato bragged about the company’s “61st consecutive year of dividend increases” as well as stock buybacks totaling “$8.5 billion… in the first half of 2023.” Don’t forget: Johnson & Johnson is suing the federal government to stop Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for patients because it would endanger their massive profits. Experts agree that this lawsuit is meritless as drug companies already negotiate with Medicaid and the VA. And nearly every other industry negotiates prices and discounts costs for large volumes – that’s how markets and competition work.
Once again, we see that big drug companies like Johnson & Johnson are desperate to maintain the status quo that puts the greed of Wall Street above the needs of American families. Drug companies charge Americans prices up to four times higher than prices in other countries, forcing patients to cut pills and skip doses to make ends meet. Over 80 percent of voters support giving Medicare the power to negotiate, making it the most popular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Inflation Reduction Act brings down prescription drug costs for everyday Americans, especially seniors, by capping the price of insulin, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and limiting the amount people have to pay each year for prescription drugs.
Read more about why Medicare needs the power to negotiate lower drug costs and the five drugs that tell the story, including Johnson & Johnson’s drug Xarelto,here.
***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY JULY 20 AT 1 PM EDT***
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Michiganders Are Saving on Health Care Costs
LANSING, MI – On Thursday, July 20 at 1 PM EDT, U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten, Michigan State Representative Will Snyder, and health care advocates will join Protect Our Care Michigan to discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s next steps in implementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The administration released the final guidance outlining the process for negotiation, and by Sept. 1, the 10 drugs that are selected for the first round of price negotiations will be announced.
Speakers will also discuss a new fact sheet from Protect Our Care outlining how the Inflation Reduction Act reduces health care costs for Michiganders— with even more savings on the way as the law’s provisions to give Medicare the power to negotiate and cap seniors’ prescription drug costs take effect. The new fact sheet follows new polling that shows the health care measures in the Inflation Reduction Act are the most popular in the entire bill.
This event comes as Republicans and big drug companies are attacking the Inflation Reduction Act in Congress and the courts. Pharmaceutical giants Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, and Johnson & Johnson-owned Janssen Pharmaceuticals, as well as the industry’s trade association PhRMA, are laser-focused on undermining the Inflation Reduction Act by filing lawsuits to protect their profits and stop the administration from negotiating lower drug prices. Big Pharma’s GOP allies in Congress have already introduced legislation to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions, which would increase drug costs for millions of seniors.
PRESS CALL
WHO: U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) Michigan State Representative Will Snyder (D-87th District) Rick Hainer, a senior citizen from Muskegon Derrick Collins, Independent Living Team Manager, Grand Rapids-based Disability Advocates
***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 AT 11:00 AM// 12:00 PM EDT***
Braidwood Management v. Becerra Targets Lifesaving Preventive Care for More than 150 Million Americans
MADISON, WI — On Wednesday, July 19th at 11:00 AM CDT // 12:00 PM EDT, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, Vivent Health Interim President and CEO Brandon Hill, Ph.D., and Mona Williams of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will join Protect Our Care Wisconsin to discuss U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor’s devastating decision to strike down a major provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires free coverage of lifesaving preventive health care services.
Judge O’Connor’s decision in Braidwood Management v. Becerra would end the ACA’s guaranteed free access to essential preventive services including lifesaving cancer screenings, and more. In 2020 alone, more than 150 million Americans benefited from these preventive services.
More than 300 experts, including leading patient and provider groups, legal and public health experts, organized labor, and more have signed onto briefs calling for the Fifth Circuit to protect the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) no-cost preventive care provision that more than 150 million Americans currently rely on.
Speakers will highlight what this decision could mean for Wisconsinites’ access to lifesaving health care services, and discuss what is to come as the lawsuit moves through the court system.
PRESS EVENT
WHO: Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul Brandon Hill, Vivent Health Interim President and CEO, Ph.D. Mona Williams, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
WHAT: Press Conference
WHERE: 600 Williamson St. Suite H, Madison, WI (RSVP to [email protected])
WHEN: Wednesday, July 19 at 11:00 AM CDT // 12:00 PM EDT
Two More Drug Companies Join Effort to Stop Medicare From Negotiating Lower Drug Prices
Washington, D.C. – Today, Johnson & Johnson-owned Janssen Pharmaceuticals joined Astellas Pharma, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, PhRMA, and Chambers of Commerce in suing to stop Medicare from using its new power to negotiate lower drug prices. The lawsuits baselessly challenge the constitutionality of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiation Program, which will lower drug costs for millions of people on Medicare. Nearly one year ago, President Biden and Congressional Democrats achieved a historic victory against drug companies in enacting the Negotiation Program, making prescription drugs more affordable for American patients who pay up to four times more for the same drugs as people in other wealthy countries.
In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued a statement:
“Drug companies’ greed knows no bounds. While Americans are cutting pills and skipping doses, pharmaceutical companies are putting all of their energy into suing the federal government to protect their ability to charge patients outrageous prices to pad their sky-high profits. Big drug companies spent record amounts on lobbying to kill the Inflation Reduction Act, and now they are doing everything in their power to stop the law from delivering lower costs to patients. The American people will suffer if drug companies get their way.”
Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is releasing 50 state-by-state fact sheets outlining how the Inflation Reduction Act reduces health care costs for the American people — with even more savings on the way as the law’s provisions to give Medicare the power to negotiate and cap seniors’ prescription drug costs take effect. The fact sheets use new United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data showing just how impactful the law has become for people across the nation.
“This data shows how much money Americans will save on their prescription drug and health care costs because of the leadership of President Biden and Congressional Democrats,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “At a time when people are worried about the cost of living and rising health care costs, the Biden administration is working tirelessly to expand access to affordable health care. Meanwhile, big drug companies and their Republican allies in Congress are doing everything in their power to roll back this progress and hike costs for the American people. It’s a shame that Republicans continue to prioritize drug company profits over the health and financial well-being of hard-working people.”
For example, here are the key numbers for Wisconsin:
BY THE NUMBERS
298,750 Wisconsinites will save an average $474.91 thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cost cap, effective in 2025. Last year, 788,856 Wisconsinites spent an average of $453 out-of-pocket on prescription drugs.
31,935 Wisconsinites on Medicare who use insulin are now charged no more than $35 per month for an insulin prescription.
181,848 Wisconsinites are saving an average of $531 on monthly health insurance premiums.
935,961 of Wisconsin’s seniors are able to receive the shingles vaccination and other recommended vaccinations free of cost.
1,439,080 of Wisconsin’s Medicaid beneficiaries will have access to expanded vaccine coverage.
19 million people with Medicare will save an average of $400 thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 annual cost caps alone.
The new reports come as new polling shows that the health care measures in the Inflation Reduction Act are the most popular in the entire bill. From Maine to Hawaii, seniors are benefitting from the law’s monthly insulin cap and no-cost vaccinations. Families purchasing insurance on their own are saving hundreds of dollars a month on their premiums. The Inflation Reduction Act has also taken immediate action to stop drug companies from raising Medicare drug prices faster than the rate of inflation, protecting people on Medicare from exorbitant price increases. Soon, Medicare will have the power to negotiate lower prices for some of the costliest medications on the market.
Care Force One to Travel Across 16+ States, Make Over 30 Stops and Cover Nearly 8,000 Miles in Four Weeks Starting July 31
Washington, D.C. — Protect Our Care is announcing its fifth nationwide bus tour: Lower Costs, Better Care. From New Hampshire to California, elected officials, storytellers, and health care advocates will demonstrate how recent victories by President Biden and Democrats in Congress are already “Driving Down Health Care Costs” by thousands of dollars a year — with even more savings on the way. Kicking off on July 31, Care Force One will roll into districts and states for events to educate Americans about how the Inflation Reduction Act and other health care measures will improve care and lower costs for the American people. Over four weeks, Care Force One will travel to more than 16 states, make more than 30 stops, and travel nearly 8,000 miles.
Protect Our Care’s bus tour kicks off just as Republicans are ramping up their war on health care. After spending more than $100 million to kill the Inflation Reduction Act, Big Pharma and their Republican allies in Congress are hard at work sabotaging this monumental progress in order to put profits over people. Right now, big drug companies are suing in court to try to take away Medicare’s power to negotiate, and Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to repeal all of the Inflation Reduction Act drug pricing measures. Republican lawmakers are also considering legislation to slash vital health care programs and recently passed a bill to promote junk plans that can discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.
The “Lower Costs, Better Care” four-week tour will promote the work of lawmakers who are fighting tirelessly to improve health care and hold Republicans accountable for trying to roll back this progress and hike costs and rip away protections from the American people.
“Care Force One will crisscross the nation this summer to highlight how President Biden and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “We are working to make sure everyone understands how the Inflation Reduction Act could save them on their health care costs. This legislation touches nearly every household in America, whether you’re a senior or individual with a disability struggling to afford prescription drugs, a family purchasing coverage on your own, or a taxpayer who is sick and tired of lining the pockets of Big Pharma. Throughout the tour, people from all backgrounds will share what this bill means to them and their families and why they need their representatives to step up against any effort to roll back this monumental progress.”
This summer, President Biden and Congressional Democrats are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act. Between lowering premium costs by 151 percent on average, capping insulin costs, and stopping Big Pharma’s egregious price hikes, the new legislation is already working for the American people. Soon, seniors’ drug costs will be capped at $2,000 annually, and Medicare will finally be able to negotiate lower drug prices — no thanks to Republicans who unanimously voted to maintain the status quo and keep health care costs high.
The Inflation Reduction Act By the Numbers
13 million Americans are saving on their health insurance premiums keeping over 2 million Americans insured and saving an average of $2,400 per family.
52 million Medicare beneficiaries will no longer face Big Pharma’s outrageous price hikes that outpace inflation.
$35 insulin copays per prescription for Medicare beneficiaries
19 million people with Medicare will save an average of $400 thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 annual cost caps
80 of the most expensive prescription drugs will have lower prices because of Medicare negotiations by 2030.
Protect Our Care’s Care Force One will make stops in: Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday, July 31, 2023 Keene, New Hampshire on Monday, July 31, 2023 Syracuse, New York on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Kingston, New York on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Valhalla, New York on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 New York City, New York on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 Scranton, Pennsylvania on Thursday, August 3, 2023 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Thursday, August 3, 2023 Connellsville, Pennsylvania on Friday, August 4, 2023 Youngston, Ohio on Monday, August 7, 2023 Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Lansing, Michigan on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Eau Claire/La Crosse, Wisconsin on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 Milwaukee/Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday, August 10, 2023 St. Paul, Minnesota on Friday, August 11, 2023 Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, August 14, 2023 Bakersfield, California on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 Orange County, California on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 Palm Springs, California on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday, August 17, 2023 Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, August 17, 2023 Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday, August 18, 2023 Columbus, Georgia on Monday, August 21, 2023 Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, August 21, 2023 Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Greensboro, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Raleigh, North Carolina on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 Norfolk, Virginia on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 Richmond, Virginia on Thursday, August 24, 2023 Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday, August 24, 2023
Approaching the One Year Anniversary, Support for the Inflation Reduction Act Remains Strong
New Navigator polling reveals that voters overwhelmingly support the Inflation Reduction Act’s measures to reduce prescription drug and health care costs, with health care provisions being 4 of the 5 most popular items in the landmark bill. An overwhelming 82 percent of voters support capping insulin costs for seniors to $35 per prescription a month, 81 percent support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, 77 percent support capping drug costs at $2,000, and 76 percent support lowering health insurance premiums. Overall, Americans support the Inflation Reduction Act by 43 points (66-23).
Many of the reforms that have the most public support are also the ones the public is most likely to associate with the Inflation Reduction Act, including Medicare negotiating lower drug prices (81%), capping insulin (79%), and limiting drug costs (73%).
The survey shows that Republicans overwhelmingly support the prescription drug provisions passed by President Biden and Congressional Democrats. Despite Republican lawmakers introducing legislation to repeal these policies, 71% of Republicans support Medicare drug price negotiation and 70% support capping out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors at $2,000 per year.
In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“The American people are loud and clear that reducing the cost of health care is their top priority. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are delivering thousands of dollars a year in lower costs for millions of people. Meanwhile, Republicans are continuing their war on health care, promising to overturn the Inflation Reduction Act and supporting Big Pharma’s meritless lawsuits. Once again, Republicans are putting greed above the economic interests of Americans. When will they learn how unpopular their war on health care is with the vast majority of voters?”
When asked if the Inflation Reduction Act will help families like theirs, a majority of voters (52%) said yes it would.
This poll not only shows policies that lower health care costs are the most popular, but people also identify the Inflation Reduction Act as a health care bill.
New Republican Legislation Includes Severe Cuts to HHS, NIH, and the CDC While Eliminating Funding for the Title X Family Planning Program
Washington DC — Today, House Republicans released legislation that would put the health and well-being of the American people in jeopardy. The radical bill includes cuts to critical health care agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The legislation also eliminates funding for the Title X Family Planning Program, which is a lifeline for low-income families across the country for contraception, cancer screenings, and other basic primary and preventive health services. This comes after Republican lawmakers passed legislation to promote junk plans that can discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. All of these proposals are particularly harmful for communities of color, LGBTQI+, people in rural areas, and other marginalized groups who are more likely to have poorer health and to be living in poverty. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“Republicans are once again showing us who they are and who they serve. They are not interested in protecting the programs that work to advance our nation’s health care system by lowering costs and improving public health. Instead, they are interested in lining the pockets of Big Pharma and the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Ripping away the Title X Family Planning Program is unconscionable at a time when conservatives have made it harder to get abortion care and as America faces a worsening maternal mortality crisis. If Republicans were serious, they would throw out this reckless, ultra-MAGA plan and prioritize legislation to expand access to affordable care, not gutting the programs that people across the nation depend on.”
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