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In News

STATEMENT: Joe Biden Will Always Be A Health Care Champion

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign, endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris, for the Democratic Presidential nomination. 

Over the last four years, President Biden has cemented his legacy as a true health care president. Alongside his Vice President Kamala Harris, President Biden capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors, lowered prescription drug prices, and reduced premiums for people who purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to their leadership, more people are covered than ever before. The Biden-Harris administration also beat Big Pharma and gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for some of the most expensive drugs on the market, while also protecting Medicaid and Medicare from Republican attacks and strengthening health care for new moms and kids. In addition, President Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot program to accelerate progress in cancer research and improve the lives of those affected with new programs, policies, and resources.

Both Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse and Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statements: 

“Joe Biden is a health care president,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “By building on the success of the Affordable Care Act and standing up to greedy drug companies, people across the country now have peace of mind knowing they can afford the lifesaving health care they need. Passing historic legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act made a world of difference for our nation’s seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, rural communities, and countless others. History will remember him as one of the most effective presidents and Protect Our Care will continue to carry on his legacy to ensure everyone, regardless of income, has the health care they need.”

“Joe Biden’s health care legacy is a BFD,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “He entered office in the midst of a health care crisis inherited from Donald Trump. From day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been a champion for the middle class, fighting tooth and nail to reverse Trump’s health care sabotage and make affordable health care a reality for seniors and families across the nation. In the face of so many attacks on health care from across the aisle, President Biden doubled down on his efforts to lower drug prices, keep premium costs low, expand Medicaid, and put the health and well-being of families first. Millions of people receive better care at a lower cost thanks to President Biden.”

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In News

Health Care Under Threat: Ten Ways Trump Would Sabotage Americans’ Health Care In A Second Term

Donald Trump is an existential threat to American health care. After Trump tried and failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), he is threatening to do it again — even as 45 million Americans rely on the law for coverage. Not only has Trump vowed to repeal the ACA, but he plans to slash Medicaid and Medicare funding, raise prescription drug and premium costs, and strip away health care from millions of Americans. 

When it comes to Donald Trump’s health care plan, look no further than Project 2025, a dangerous policy roadmap released by MAGA allies at the Heritage Foundation designed to hurt the middle class and give more tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans. This plan details how Trump and his MAGA allies will work to raise costs for hardworking families, take away protections for pre-existing conditions, and give more tax breaks to drug and insurance companies.

  1. Trump and His Allies Will Keep Working To Repeal The ACA And The Inflation Reduction Act. During his first term, Trump notoriously tried and failed multiple times to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). All of the repeal bills that went through Congress would have caused millions of Americans to lose their health coverage and raised premiums for millions more. Trump’s repeal efforts would have imposed an “age tax” on older Americans and eliminated protections for more than 100 millions Americans with pre-existing conditions like asthma, cancer, and diabetes. During his 2024 campaign Trump has repeatedly reignited his calls to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act, which he claims is a “disaster,” and his MAGA allies in Congress are seeking to dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act and its provisions making prescription drugs and health care premiums more affordable for tens of millions of Americans. 
  2. Trump Will Pack The Courts With Right Wing Ideologues. After failing to repeal the health care law in his first year as President, Trump took his war on America’s health care to a new level and went to court seeking to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act — including protections for pre-existing conditions. During his term, Trump packed the federal courts with anti-health care extremists, including the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk who in the last two years alone has issued rulings that attempted to upend the entire FDA approval process and reject health protections for LGBTQ Americans. 
  3. Trump Will Stand With Big Drug Companies Instead Of Working To Lower Drug Prices. Donald Trump came into office with a promise to lower drug costs, but instead, he gave drug companies billions in tax breaks. The year after his tax bill passed, the largest drug companies made $50 billion in profits and subsequently used their savings to invest billions more in stock buybacks for their shareholders. Meanwhile, thousands of drugs saw price increases during his administration. In a second term, Trump will try to repeal or weaken President Biden’s landmark legislation that allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and will continue to fight to keep drug companies’ taxes low and protect their corporate loopholes. 
  4. Trump Will Continue His War On Medicaid. A second Trump term will see a renewed war on Medicaid laid out in the Project 2025 agenda, which includes onerous paperwork requirements and block grants that would force radical cuts to Medicaid. Trump and his allies support cutting funding for Medicaid by over 50 percent. Between encouraging states to impose red tape and paperwork requirements masquerading as work requirements, Trump’s policies will end Medicaid as we know it. Their plan to gut Medicaid means millions of Americans would lose their health coverage, including seniors with long-term care needs, children in low-income families, people with disabilities and people suffering from mental illnesses. 
  5. Trump Will Promote Policies Designed To Throw People Off Their Health Coverage. Census data revealed the uninsured rate rose during Trump’s tenure for the first time since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The rate increased from 7.9 percent in 2017 to 8.5 percent in 2018, or by approximately 2 million people. More than one million children lost Medicaid coverage between 2017 and 2019. Health care experts pointed to a “chilling effect” from Trump-backed policies, including Medicaid work reporting requirements. Trump’s anti-immigration policies create a climate of fear among the immigrant community and their family members, which will lead eligible people to forgo health care for themselves and their children. This especially contributed to increased uninsurance among Hispanic families during the first Trump administration.
  6. Trump Will Gut Medicare And Medicaid. Trump and his allies support raising the retirement age, stripping away benefits for future retirees, and cutting tens of billions of dollars from Medicare. Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget in 2019 would cut funding for Medicare by more than $800 billion and repeal the ACA. Additionally, the budget would cut $1.5 trillion from Medicaid, which would result in millions of people losing health coverage, cuts to nursing homes, and cuts to care for children with severe disabilities.
  7. Trump Will Put Big Drug And Insurance Companies Back In Charge While Eroding Access To Health Care. Trump’s proudest achievement during his term was signing into law a tax bill that cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations and increased health care premiums for people who buy their own coverage. Trump’s tax bill repealed a key provision of the Affordable Care Act that required most people to have health coverage, which formed the basis of the Trump-Republican lawsuit that sought to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, the repeal of the individual mandate contributed to thousands of dollars in increased premiums on the individual market. Trump is openly campaigning on more of the same tax cuts for giant corporations and billionaires if he regains office in 2024.  
  8. Trump Is Responsible For The Repeal of Roe v. Wade And The Devastating Consequences for Reproductive Health. Donald Trump boasts that his appointees to the Supreme Court “broke Roe v. Wade” and the consequences for women’s health have been catastrophic, from cruel and archaic abortion bans to devastating uncertainty about access to IVF and other reproductive care.  A second term would see more extreme judicial appointments and an all out push to use the Comstock Act to create a de facto national ban on abortions and sharply limit access to medications like mifepristone.  
  9. Trump Will Sabotage The ACA And Push People Into Junk Plans That Do Not Include Protections For Pre-Existing Conditions. In 2017, the Trump administration cut the outreach advertising budget for Open Enrollment by 90 percent, from $100 million to just $10 million – which resulted in as many as 1.1 million fewer people getting covered. The Trump administration also slashed funding for non-profit health Navigator groups that help people shop for coverage from $36 million to $10 million. Trump’s CMS encouraged groups to use the remaining funds to push people to sign up for junk plans that skirt important consumer protections, like coverage of prescription drugs and maternity care. Project 2025 includes plans to build on Trump’s efforts to promote junk plans that do not need to cover people with pre-existing conditions.
  10. Trump’s Will Work To Discriminate Against Women, People of Color And LGBTQ Americans. The Trump administration took multiple steps to make it harder for women, people of color, and LGBTQ Americans to access health care. For example, in August 2019, the Trump administration began enforcing a rule that bars certain federally-funded clinics from referring women for abortions. As a result, the nation’s largest recipient of Title X funds, Planned Parenthood, was forced to exit the program, losing $60 million in funding previously used to provide birth control and reproductive health care services for low-income women. Moreover, experts pointed to Trump’s immigration policies for having deterred many Latino families from getting coverage, resulting in steep coverage losses, especially for children. Trump also tried to make it easier for transgender Americans to be discriminated against in health care settings and allowed providers’ to refuse patient care on the basis of the provider’s personal beliefs, a move that undermined access to care for patients who already face health care disparities. A second Trump term would promise more of the same, with his allies already signaling that they plan to dramatically change the government’s interpretation of civil rights laws to focus on bogus “anti-white racism” rather than discrimination against people of color.
ashoup
In News, Report, Research

NEW REPORT: The MAGA Agenda Is An Existential Threat to Our Health Care

Protect Our Care Released New Report on the Threats to Health Care by Donald Trump, Project 2025, and MAGA Republicans

Read the Report Here. 

The MAGA Republican Party, led by Donald Trump, is escalating their attacks on American health care and doubled down on their plan to deny tens of millions of Americans affordable, lifesaving health care. Donald Trump has vowed to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act, hike costs, and rip away Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. 

MAGA and Trump allies at the Heritage Foundation also released Project 2025, a dangerous promise that will raise drug prices, repeal protections for pre-existing conditions, and cut Medicaid funding. 

“If Donald Trump wins, health care is on the chopping block,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans continue to double down on their promises to raise drug prices and the cost of health insurance all while ripping away health care from millions of families. If they are successful, 45 million Americans could lose coverage, nearly 20 million would be paying higher premiums, and over 100 million Americans would lose protections for pre-existing conditions, while seniors on Medicare would pay more for their prescription drugs. While they raise costs on working people, they’re trying to give more tax breaks to billionaires, CEOs, and corporations. The bottom line is that Trump and MAGA Republicans remain an existential threat to our health care and a second Trump term would be disastrous for millions of hardworking people across the nation.”

Here are five of the the many ways Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans will destroy your health care: 

  1. Trump and his allies will repeal the $35 insulin cap for 4 million Americans. Project 2025 fully repeals the Inflation Reduction Act’s provisions that are saving Americans thousands of dollars on health care, such as the insulin cap for those on Medicare.
  2. Trump and his allies will repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and hike drug costs for seniors and families: Project 2025 fully repeals the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions that are saving Americans thousands of dollars on health care. Republicans are continuing to side with drug industry lobbyists by trying to stop Medicare from negotiating lower prices.
  3. Trump and his allies will dismantle protections for people with pre-existing conditions and repeal the ACA: Trump notoriously sabotaged affordable health care and pre-existing condition protections while he was in office, and has renewed his calls to “terminate” the ACA throughout his campaign.
  4. Trump and his allies will cut Medicaid and throw millions off of their coverage: Project 2025 repeatedly refers to Medicaid, and especially the ACA’s expansion of the program to low-income adults as “failing” and too expensive to maintain. Project 2025 proposes to kick people off Medicaid by tying Medicaid funding to state abortion bans, imposing onerous work requirements, and allowing states to redirect Medicaid funding toward private insurance.
  5. Trump and his allies will hike premium costs by hundreds of dollars a year, locking millions out of affordable coverage: The Project 2025 plan would end enhanced premium tax credits that lower insurance costs for Americans, which were originally enacted by Democrats’ American Rescue Plan and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act. Getting rid of premium tax credits would keep health care unaffordable and out of reach for millions of Americans.
ashoup
In News

PRESS EVENT: HHS Secretary Becerra, Rep. Horsford and Leaders from UnidosUS and NAACP to Join Protect Our Care to Highlight Efforts to Lower Health Care and Prescription Drug Costs for Nevadans

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, JULY 15 AT 11 AM PT // 2 PM ET***

Speakers will Discuss How the Affordable Care Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Other Efforts by the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats Benefit Black, Latino and Other Communities of Color in Nevada 

North Las Vegas, Nevada – On Monday, July 15 at 11 AM PT // 2 PM ET, Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Congressman Steven Horsford, Stan Dorn, Director of Health Policy Project for UnidosUS, and Dr. Chris Pernell, Director at the Center for Health Equity for NAACP, will join Protect Our Care Nevada to highlight how President Biden and Congressional Democrats have protected and strengthened health care for Nevadans. The speakers will share how Biden and Congressional Democrats’ efforts to lower premium costs, extend prescription drug savings to everyone, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and expand Medicaid are helping all Nevadans – especially Black, Latino and other communities of color in the state. 

A record 21.4 million Americans signed up for coverage through ACA marketplaces for 2024, and the Biden Administration’s historic investment into the Navigators program will only continue to expand access to affordable plans, particularly in underserved communities. Many communities of color have faced systemic barriers to accessing health care. Recent reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that more people have coverage than ever – including people who haven’t historically had a reliable source of coverage – thanks to the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) tax breaks. Uninsured rates among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Americans fell by nearly two-thirds, rates were nearly halved among Black and Latino Americans, and fell by more than a third for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The IRA is also helping thousands of Nevadans afford their prescription drugs and access free preventive vaccines like shingles shots. 

WHO:
Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services
Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-4)
Stan Dorn, Director, Health Policy Project, UnidosUS
Dr. Chris Pernell, Director, Center for Health Equity, NAACP

WHAT: Press Conference

WHEN: Monday, July 15, 2024 at 11 AM PT // 2 PM ET

WHERE: Nevada Partners, 690 W Lake Mead Blvd – Room 101, North Las Vegas, NV 89030

The event will also be livestreamed here.

ashoup
In News

Senators Baldwin and Warnock Introduce Legislation to Expand Affordable Health Care and Close the Coverage Gap

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) will introduce new legislation to close the Medicaid coverage gap in the remaining 10 states. This bill extends the premium credits to those in the coverage gap: people with incomes below the poverty line who have no other access to affordable coverage. The legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

Forty-one states including D.C. have expanded Medicaid coverage to nearly 25 million adults, including lower wage workers, older Americans, and caregivers. Republican lawmakers are blocking this lifesaving program in Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Sen. Warnock’s home state of Georgia. As a result, nearly 1.6 million people are uninsured with no options for affordable coverage.

In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“Since day one, both Senator Baldwin and Warnock have had an unwavering commitment to making quality, affordable health care a reality for every American. After years of Republican obstruction in these ten hold-out states, it is high time Congress deliver relief to the 1.6 million Americans who desperately need affordable care. States that expanded Medicaid have stronger hospitals, better economies, and healthier communities. Medicaid expansion is widely supported across the nation, even in some of the deepest red states. It’s time for MAGA lawmakers to stop playing politics and start putting the health and well-being of American families first.”

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In News

Senator Bob Casey Introduces New Legislation to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Everyone

U.S. Capitol Building

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced new legislation extending an important piece of the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug savings to everyone. The Capping Prescription Drug Costs Act would cap individual cost-sharing for prescription drugs at $2,000 annually for both group and Marketplace plans. It would also cap family cost-sharing for prescription drugs at $4,000 annually. The Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act is already saving millions of people money on their prescriptions and it will save 19 million seniors an average of $400 annually thanks to the $2,000 cost cap, which begins in 2025.

In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Senator Casey is tackling the issues that matter most to the American people. Lowering health care costs is a top way to address the high cost of living. Americans pay up to four times more for the same drugs as people in other countries, forcing people to cut pills in half or skip doses altogether. The Inflation Reduction Act has been a remarkable step forward to rein in drug companies’ greed, lower drug costs for seniors, and give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices. These measures are saving seniors thousands of dollars a year. Now it’s time to expand these lifesaving savings to everyone, no matter where they get their insurance which is why Senator Casey’s legislation is so important.”

ashoup
In News

New Navigator Polling Shows Deep Opposition For MAGA Republicans’ “Project 2025” Health Care Agenda

New Navigator polling finds that Americans deeply oppose the health care policies in Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for a second Trump term. Specifically, 83 percent oppose removing protections for people with pre-existing conditions, 81 percent oppose putting a new tax on health insurance for people who get coverage through their employer, and 80 percent oppose banning Medicare from negotiating lower prices and eliminating the $35 monthly insulin cap. 

Today’s survey follows a string of recent Navigator polls showing that President Biden and Democrats are more trusted on health care. Additionally, voters overwhelmingly support the Inflation Reduction Act and Democratic efforts to lower health care costs, including giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, capping the cost of insulin, and providing free vaccines. The contrast is clear:

Today’s Navigator results also show that Americans believe that Project 2025 would only benefit the wealthiest Americans, CEOs, and corporations – and it would have a negative impact on all other groups, like small businesses and the middle class.

Additionally, Navigator found clear guidance on framing Project 2025 as a dangerous policy roadmap designed to hurt the middle class and a takeover of the government led by MAGA Republicans who are power hungry and dangerous to our health care.

ashoup
In News

ROUNDUP: Lawmakers and Advocates Across the Nation Call Out Donald Trump’s Dangerous Health Care Agenda

Last week, Democratic lawmakers and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care for events across the nation to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans for their radical agenda to hike costs and rip health care away from millions. Ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, speakers noted Donald Trump’s plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its protections for pre-existing conditions, slash tens of billions of dollars from Medicaid and Medicare, and hike prescription drug prices while handing out more tax breaks for big drug companies and wealthy executives. 

On the debate stage, Donald Trump tried to rewrite history and claim that his administration was responsible for capping insulin costs. This lie has been debunked by independent fact checkers, which noted that the $35 monthly insulin cap was a direct result of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. President Biden stood up to big drug companies, lowered the price of insulin and other prescription drugs, and made health insurance more affordable. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are continuing their fight to make sure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to quality health care.

GEORGIA

Thursday, June 27 – Pre-Debate Accountability Event with Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock, State Rep. Dr. Michelle Au, and Health Care Storytellers: U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, State Representative Dr. Michelle Au, and impacted Georgians joined Protect Our Care Georgia ahead of tonight’s presidential debate to call out Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress for their escalating attacks on health care. “The polls will go up, and the polls will go down, but at the end of the day, the people of Georgia know who has been working to get them healthcare, and they know who has been trying, at every turn, to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. They know that the Republicans in this state,10 years after I was arrested for fighting for Medicaid expansion, still refuse to expand Medicaid — leaving 640,000 Georgians in the coverage gap. They know who opposed the provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and who fought to give Medicare the ability to negotiate the price of prescription drugs. Georgians are smart, and they are going to get this right,” said U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

ARIZONA

Thursday, June 27 – Pre-Debate Accountability Virtual Event with Arizona Senior Health Care Advocates: President of Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and community leaders joined Protect Our Care Arizona ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024 to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans for their escalating attacks on health care for Arizonans and people across America. “I think that the ACA and what the Biden Administration has done for us is hopeful and we need to finish the job,” said Sylvia Gonzalez, United States Air Force Veteran. Advocates celebrated the Biden administration’s work in negotiating lower drug prices and keeping their costs of living more affordable because of their health care bills: “[The Biden administration] accomplished something that we had been trying to do for over 20 years,” said Linda Somo, President of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans. “And that is to be able to have Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices for some of the most expensive and highly used prescriptions that seniors have been using for years. The Biden Administration has been a great friend to seniors.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here. 

CALIFORNIA

Wednesday, June 26 – Pre-Debate Accountability Virtual Event with California Health Care Advocates: Dr. Sion Roy and Naida Tushnet joined Protect Our Care CA, ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans like Michelle Steel, Young Kim, and Mike Garcia for their escalating attacks on health care for Californians and people across America. As Donald Trump intensifies his threats to repeal the ACA, Republican lawmakers and their allies are attempting to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans. “As a doctor in LA, I’ve seen first hand how important the ACA and the Inflation Reduction Act are at increasing access to health coverage and lowering prescription drug prices,” said Dr. Sion Roy. “It’s crucial for my patients and I hope every Californian watches this debate and see how critical this election is to continue to take the steps to improve access to quality healthcare for all Californians.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

  • Capitol Morning Report: Healthcare Advocates “Call Out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans” Ahead of Debate

MICHIGAN

Monday, June 24 – Pre-Debate Accountability Virtual Event with State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, Dr. Farhan Bhatti, and Advocate Eric Schneidewind: Michigan Rep. Laurie Pohutsky and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care Michigan, ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans for their escalating attacks on health care for Michiganders and people across America. As Donald Trump intensifies his threats to repeal the ACA, Republican lawmakers and their allies are attempting to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans. “Reproductive rights and health, in particular, continue to be under unprecedented attack by Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress,” said Michigan Rep. Laurie Pohutsky. “We cannot allow Trump and his Republican allies to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans. As we approach the first of the presidential debates this week, I call on all Americans to play close attention to the candidates and their positions on health care.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

  • News Channel 3: State lawmakers discuss healthcare ahead of first 2024 presidential debate

NEVADA

Wednesday, June 26 – Pre-Debate Accountability and Women’s Health Virtual Event With Nevada Legislators: Senator Dina Neal, Senator Rochelle Nguyen, and Assemblywoman Selena Torres joined Protect Our Care Nevada, ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans for their escalating attacks on health care for women in Nevada and across America. Amid a worsening maternal mortality crisis and ongoing Republican assaults on women’s health care, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have worked tirelessly to lower costs and improve access to care for women. Nearly 300,000 women in Nevada have lower prescription drug costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, and Nevadans will save an estimated $416 a year on drug costs thanks to the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap that begins in 2025. In addition to those cost-saving measures, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have expanded Medicaid for postpartum mothers and launched new public health initiatives to promote the health and well-being of women and their families. “Let’s be clear, it is President Biden and Congressional Democrats working to extend prescription drug savings to everyone, continuing to protect people with pre-existing conditions, and working to expand Medicaid,” said Assemblywoman Selena Torres. “Republicans want to destroy the ACA and return us to a time when being a woman was a pre-existing condition.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

NEW YORK

Thursday, June 27 – Pre-Debate Accountability and Women’s Health Event with Assemblymember Anna Kelles, Citizen Action New York, and Empire State Voices: Citizen Action NY, Indivisible Binghamton and Empire State Voices, storytellers joined Protect Our Care New York to highlight new data that illustrates how the Inflation Reduction Act has reduced health care and prescription drug costs and expanded access to quality, comprehensive health care for New York women. “Until reproductive rights are protected at a national level, working families will live under constant threat of that choice being made for them by politicians, not them and their doctors,” said Maria Martinez, Executive Director of Empire State Voices. “As conservative legislatures across the country continue to push for restrictive bans on abortion, IVF, and even contraception, Congressman Marc Molinaro has remained silent, supporting anti-choice legislation hoping no one will notice. We will continue to hold our representatives accountable when they refuse to protect our reproductive freedoms, and urge them to fight for the communities they represent, not just the ultra-wealthy and interest groups.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here. 

NORTH CAROLINA

Tuesday, June 24 – Pre-debate GOP Accountability and Women’s Health Event with State Senator Natalie Murdock: State Senator Natalie Murdock and Dr. Jenna Beckham joined Protect Our Care North Carolina, ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans for their escalating attacks on health care for North Carolinians and people across America. As Donald Trump intensifies his threats to repeal the ACA, Republican lawmakers and their allies are attempting to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans. “With Medicaid there’s so much more care that we can provide. I was thrilled we filed MOMnibus right here in North Carolina,” said Senator Natalie Murdock. “There’s a direct correlation with Black maternal health outcomes with these abortion bans.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

OHIO

Monday, June 24 – Ohio Capital Journal Op-Ed by Pastor Brandon Davis on Protecting the Affordable Care Act: Protect Our Care Ohio placed an opinion piece in the Ohio Capital Journal by Reverend Dr. Brandon Davis. In the piece, Pastor Davis discusses the more than doubling of ACA coverage in Ohio thanks to the Biden administration, the ongoing Republican attacks on Ohioans’ coverage, and the need to protect these critical benefits. Davis writes, “Fortunately, ACA coverage in Ohio has more than doubled thanks to the efforts of President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress who have worked to protect and expand the ACA. But now, all of this progress is once again under threat. The Inflation Reduction Act, championed and signed into law by President Biden, reduced or eliminated out-of-pocket premiums for millions of people by expanding tax credits through 2025. Lowering premiums allows more families than ever before to enroll in the coverage they need to stay healthy – 80% can find coverage through the Marketplace for $10 or less. The average savings for the nearly 240,000 Ohioans receiving the premium tax credits is $481 per month. This is money they can put toward other everyday needs like putting food on the table and a roof over their heads.” You can read the full op-ed here.

Wednesday, June 26 – Pre-debate GOP Accountability and Women’s Health Event with Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley, Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki, and Advocates: Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley, Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki, and advocates joined Protect Our Care Ohio, ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans in Congress for their escalating attacks on health care. As Donald Trump intensifies his threats to repeal the ACA, Republican lawmakers and their allies are attempting to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans. “Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown have been working hard for all Americans to protect and expand their health care,” said Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki. “MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump want to take us back to a time that wasn’t healthy for Americans. They want to repeal the ACA and take opportunities away from so many people to be able to have health care coverage.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

PENNSYLVANIA

Monday, June 24 – Pre-debate Accountability and Seniors Event with Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis and Local Officials:  Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, York County Commissioner Doug Hoke, and York Mayor Michael Helfrich joined Protect Our Care Pennsylvania to highlight the steps President Biden and Democrats in Congress have taken to protect and expand access to health care for older Pennsylvanians. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, older Pennsylvanians have lower health care costs, helping them save money and have more breathing room to pay for housing, groceries, and other essentials. The Inflation Reduction Act has capped the cost of insulin at $35 per month for 4 million Americans on Medicare, set a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries, and empowered Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs. “Inflation is on a lot of people’s minds. Folks are trying to make ends meet, and they’re pinching pennies to do it. Thankfully the Inflation Reduction Act is bringing real relief, especially for older Americans,” said Lieutenant Governor Davis. “For the first time in history, Medicare has been empowered to negotiate prescription drug costs. That’s something that people have been working towards for years – this President got it done. There are elected officials fighting for you everyday.” You can view the post-event release here.

VIRGINIA

Thursday, June 27 – Virtual Pre-debate Accountability and Women’s Health Event with State Senators Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouche and Advocates: Ahead of tonight’s presidential debate, Senate Education and Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) and Senator Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) joined advocates, storytellers, and Protect Our Care Virginia to call out Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, and MAGA Republicans for their escalating attacks on health care. “For everyone who’s tuning into the debate tonight, I want you to know the clear differences between Joe Biden and Donald Trump when it comes to health care, and most especially reproductive health care,” said Senator Hashmi. “Donald Trump has appointed justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, and he continues to brag about the disastrous health care crisis that he has created across the country. And meanwhile, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been a brick wall for reproductive rights at the federal level, just as I and my fellow Democrats in the General Assembly have been a brick wall here at the state level.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

  • 13NewsNow: Panel discusses health care in Virginia
  • BlueVirginia: Video: Ahead of Debate, VA State Senators Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse Call Out Donald Trump, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) and MAGA Republicans for Trying to Take Away Virginians’ Health Care

WISCONSIN

Tuesday, June 25 – Pre-Debate Accountability Virtual Event with Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and Health Care Advocates: Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and Wisconsin health advocates joined Protect Our Care Wisconsin ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024, to call out Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans for their escalating attacks on health care. As Donald Trump intensifies his threats to repeal the ACA, Republican lawmakers and their allies are attempting to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans. “Donald Trump wants to terminate the Affordable Care Act and significantly cut Medicare and Medicaid — which thousands of Wisconsinites rely on,” said Godlewski, later adding, “There is no doubt about it — healthcare is on the ballot. And, we need to continue the work to expand and strengthen key programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA that millions of Americans rely on. You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

  • Wispolitics: Protect Our Care: Godlewski, Wisconsinites call out Trump and MAGA Republican efforts to take away health care ahead of debate
  • Up North News: Wisconsin Leaders Condemn Trump and GOP for Attacks on Health Care
  • WFHR-AM [Wausau] (Part 1, Part 2)
  • WXCO-FM [Wausau] (Part 1, Part 2)
  • WAUK-AM [Milwaukee] (Part 1, Part 2)
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In News

Debate 2024: Trump Lies About His Health Care Record

Trump’s Insulin Lies Were Immediately Debunked By Independent Fact Checkers

Last night, President Biden and Donald Trump took the debate stage for the first time in the 2024 election cycle. In an effort to run from his disastrous health care record, Donald Trump tried to take credit for lowering insulin costs for seniors. That’s a lie. In reality, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are the ones who capped insulin costs for seniors at $35 per month, and they also pressured drug companies to cap costs for everyone. 

Here’s the truth: The prospect of another Donald Trump presidency means health care is on the chopping block. The MAGA Republican Party, led by Donald Trump wants to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act, slash Medicaid and Medicare funding, repeal protections for pre-existing conditions, raise prescription drug and premium costs, and strip away health care from millions of Americans all while giving tax breaks to billionaires, CEOs and corporations. The contrast could not be more clear as President Biden continues his work to lower prescription drug prices and premium costs for people across the nation. 

FACT CHECK

LIE: Trump Lowered Insulin Prices Trump said, “I’m the one that got the insulin down for the seniors. I took care of the seniors.” 

REALITY:  Trump had four years to take action on drug prices, but instead, he did nothing and now he’ll lie and say anything to cover up his failures. In reality, drug prices soared under Trump. During his first year in office, the list prices of 20 of the top 25 drugs covered by Medicare Part D increased between three and nine times the rate of inflation, according to KFF. AARP found that annual drug costs for the drugs most commonly used by seniors rose 5.8 percent in 2018, more than twice the rate of inflation. Likewise, drug prices increased an average of 21 percent in 2019 and rose faster than inflation in 2020. Further, Trump put profits over people and gave billions in tax breaks to drug and health insurance companies and executives, signing a $1.5 trillion tax bill disproportionately benefiting the wealthy and reducing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

SIDE-BY-SIDE: DONALD TRUMP AND PRESIDENT BIDEN ON HEALTH CARE

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In News

Side-By-Side: Donald Trump and President Biden on Health Care

Later tonight, President Biden and Donald Trump will take the stage for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election.

From day one, the Biden administration has fought tooth and nail to lower costs and make affordable health care a reality for seniors and families across the nation. President Biden has expanded affordable coverage, lowered prescription drug costs, strengthened Medicaid for moms and kids, and worked to reduce inequities in care. On the other hand, Donald Trump has also fully reignited his war on health care as record numbers rely on the ACA for affordable coverage. Repealing the ACA means millions of Americans would lose coverage, costs would skyrocket, and people with pre-existing conditions would lose essential protections. The contrast could not be more clear:

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