News

Yesterday, President Biden delivered a speech in Virginia Beach to call out Republicans for their relentless threats to slash Medicaid and dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For months Republicans have openly stated their goal for their House majority – to gut health care programs rather than make companies and the wealthy pay their fair share. GOP lawmakers are relying on Russ Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under former President Trump, as they draft a right-wing budget proposal to slash vital programs. 

Vought’s plan would drive up costs for almost 15 million Americans and eliminate coverage altogether for more than 20 million people while also removing vital protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. The plan would be catastrophic for the American people and disproportionately impact children, rural Americans, and people of color. People would lose their health insurance and important benefits like preventive services and maternity care, and pay more for prescription drugs and insurance premiums. Headlines make clear President Biden is committed to protecting American families from the latest GOP attacks on health care.

HEADLINES:

The Virginian-Pilot: Biden Speaks On Health Care In Virginia Beach, Slams GOP. “President Joe Biden came to Virginia Beach on Tuesday afternoon, seeking to contrast his health-care proposals with those of congressional Republicans. Biden made his remarks at the Kempsville Recreation Center, in the congressional district now represented by Republican Jen Kiggans. The person Kiggans defeated for that seat, Elaine Luria, was among the attendees. Biden accused Republicans of wanting to lower taxes on large companies and the richest Americans while cutting benefits offers by Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. ‘Make no mistake, MAGA Republicans will try to take away people’s health care by cutting Medicaid and the ACA,’ he said. ‘I will stop them.’ He described MAGA Republicans as ‘a different kind of cat’ compared to other Republicans who are more open to compromise. Biden also said Democrats voted to raise the debt ceiling as the national debt grew from under $20 trillion to $26.9 trillion in the Donald Trump administration. He said his health care reforms would also bring down costs for government, and celebrated the Inflation Reduction Act that allows Medicare Part D to negotiate drug prices which is estimated to save $10 billion over the next decade.” [The Virginian-Pilot, 2/28/23]

AP: Biden Warns of ‘MAGA’ Republicans’ Desire to Cut Spending. “President Joe Biden on Tuesday said GOP lawmakers could put millions of people’s health care at risk, honing his message ahead of the release of his budget plan next week as Republicans push for him to negotiate over spending levels.” [Associated Press, 3/1/23] 

PBS: Biden Warns Of Republicans Putting Affordable Health Care At Risk During Visit To Virginia Beach. “President Joe Biden on Tuesday said GOP lawmakers could put millions of people’s health care at risk, honing his message ahead of the release of his budget plan next week as Republicans push for him to negotiate over spending levels. The Democratic president spoke at a recreation center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His remarks were part of a broader effort this week to contrast his administration’s priorities with those of Republicans who have yet to spell out their budget cuts. Using past proposals, Biden said the GOP could try to slash Medicaid and Obamacare benefits, as well as Social Security and Medicare. ‘What are they going to cut? That’s the big question,” Biden said Tuesday. “For millions of Americans, health care hangs in the balance.’” [PBS, 2/28/23]

Washington Post: Biden Has A New Health-Care Attack Line. “It’s pretty clear: President Biden believes health care is a potent campaign message. No, he hasn’t yet announced whether he’s running for a second term. But if the past few weeks serve as a preview, then the White House believes portraying Republicans as a threat to Americans’ health care is a political winner. After hammering Republicans on Medicare and Social Security for weeks, Biden pivoted yesterday to framing the GOP as a danger to Medicaid and Obamacare. ‘Look, make no mistake: If MAGA Republicans try to take away people’s health care by gutting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, I will stop them,’ Biden said during a speech in Virginia Beach. When it comes to health care, Democrats have long believed they have the advantage over Republicans, and both Medicaid and Obamacare have proven to be broadly popular. Republicans failed to repeal the law in 2017 after repeatedly pledging to do so. The party ran into resistance for attempting deep cuts to Medicaid, with several GOP governors even up in arms at the proposals, and some health experts have since dubbed the safety net program a ‘potential new third rail’ of American politics.” [The Washington Post, 3/1/23]

USA Today: ‘Health Care Hangs In The Balance’: Biden Expands Attacks On GOP Over Budget Cuts. “After pounding away at Republicans over Social Security and Medicare, President Joe Biden on Tuesday broadened his attack. Biden accused Republicans of wanting to slash two other benefit programs: Obamacare and Medicaid. ‘For millions of Americans, health care hangs in the balance,’ Biden said. ‘If MAGA Republicans try to take away people’s health care by gutting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, I will stop them.’ He made that pledge Tuesday when visiting a crossover congressional district in Virginia that he carried in 2020 but that Republicans flipped in November’s midterm elections. It’s part of the president’s drumbeat of calling on Republicans to lay out how they would reduce the deficit as the president prepares to send his own budget proposal to Congress next week.” [USA Today, 2/28/23]

Daily Mail (UK): ‘Maybe They Found Religion’: Biden Drags Republicans Who Now Say They Don’t Want To Cut Medicare And Social Security And Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene For Calling Him A ‘Liar’. “President Joe Biden told a Virginia Beach crowd that Republicans may have ‘found religion’ by wanting to protect Social Security and Medicare – but accused the GOP on Tuesday of planning cuts on health care for the poor and Obamacare. Biden also tipped his hand on the proposed White House budget that’s expected to be rolled out on March 9th, saying people earning less than $400,000 per year won’t pay ‘a penny’ on tax hikes he’s proposing. He said the budget plan would spell out ‘What we’re going to cut, what we’re going to spend, what we’re going to do. Just lay it on the table.’ After pounding Republicans for weeks over a plan by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to ‘sunset’ federal programs and require renewal votes in Congress, Biden is shifting the terrain to Medicaid. He said Republicans would be pulling out old plans to cut funding in order to meet their budget-cutting demands.” [Daily Mail, 2/28/23]

CNBC: Biden Warns Of GOP Plans To Curb Access To Health Care. “The speech comes a little over a week before the White House is scheduled to present Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget to Congress and as the White House and House Republicans continue to spar over spending cuts and the debt ceiling. Republicans have insisted that Biden cut spending as part of a deal to raise the debt limit — a proposition Biden won’t negotiate. While he agrees that federal spending needs to be curtailed, he’s vehemently opposed to tying it to the debt ceiling. Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House earlier this month to discuss the topic, but no agreements were made. Lifting the debt limit does not authorize any new spending; it allows the government to borrow more money to cover existing commitments. And since the federal government consistently spends more than it takes in in tax revenue, lawmakers have to periodically raise the debt ceiling. Failing to lift the debt ceiling could lead to a government default on its debt and halt daily operations, causing potential turmoil to markets and the economy. The Treasury Department already launched a series of extraordinary steps to keep paying the government’s bills, and it expects those measures will be enough to avoid default at least until early June. But if Congress doesn’t raise or suspend the debt limit by then, it could wreak economic havoc around the world.” [CNBC, 2/28/23]

WVBT News: President Biden To Republicans On Healthcare: ‘Lay Proposal On The Table’. “President Joe Biden outlined the tenants of his health care proposal Tuesday during an address which contrasted his plans with that MAGA Republicans who he said would make deep cuts in programs that, in particular, support families and seniors. Biden gave his roughly 30-minute address to a mostly receptive and packed Kempsville Recreation Center gym in Virginia Beach, flying in and out of the city on Air Force One through Naval Air Station Oceana. Biden sought to highlight how the White House believes Congressional Republicans would raise health care costs, including for seniors, while causing millions of people to lose their coverage.” [WVBT News, 2/28/23]

Move Comes as Republicans Are Working to Repeal the Insulin Cap Now Benefiting Seniors

Washington DC — Today, Eli Lilly announced that the company would limit the cost of insulin to $35 per month, expanding the Inflation Reduction Act’s cap to everyone. This move is a game changer for millions of diabetes patients who depend on insulin and the direct result of President Biden and Congressional Democrats having passed the current cap for seniors last year. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Thank you, President Biden. Eli Lilly’s announcement demonstrates what good policy can do. The Inflation Reduction Act laid the groundwork for Eli Lilly’s announcement by capping insulin costs for America’s seniors. This move will bring relief to even more patients who have struggled to keep up with the outrageous cost of insulin. Let’s be clear: this is the result of President Biden and Democrats in Congress fighting hard for patients. On the other hand, Republicans want to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s insulin cap entirely after they blocked legislation last year to extend the cap to everyone. President Biden is fighting to make sure every insulin-dependent diabetic can afford the drugs they need to stay alive; he won’t rest until that is a reality, and neither will we.”

Washington DC — Today, President Biden made a speech in Virginia Beach, VA to call out Republicans for their recent threats to slash Medicaid and dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For months Republicans have openly stated their goal for their House majority – to gut health care programs rather than make companies and the wealthy pay their fair share.

Republicans have promised to defund Medicare and Medicaid, and to repeal the Affordable and the Inflation Reduction Act. Recent press reports indicate that GOP lawmakers have been meeting with Russ Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under former President Trump, as they begin to draft a budget to use as part of their threat to tank the economy and default on the nation’s debt if President Biden doesn’t agree to slash health care and other programs.

Vought’s plan cuts $2 trillion from Medicaid and guts the Affordable Care Act, eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions, ripping coverage from 20 million Americans who rely on Medicaid, and raising premiums for nearly 15 million Americans who receive premium tax credits that make coverage affordable. Vought’s plan would be catastrophic for the American people and disproportionately impact children, rural Americans, and people of color. People will lose their health insurance and important benefits like preventive services and maternity care, and pay more for prescription drugs and insurance premiums.

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

“President Biden made it clear in his remarks today that he and Congressional Democrats are not going to let Republicans hold our economy and the American people hostage. Republicans are doubling down on their long history of attacking ACA and Medicaid through their budget proposals, which disproportionately affects rural Americans, people with disabilities, and communities of color. The GOP plan would be disastrous for our country, effectively repealing the ACA, driving up costs for almost 15 million Americans and eliminating coverage altogether for more than 20 million people while also removing vital protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.

“President Biden won’t let the American people’s access to affordable health care be stripped away to justify an extreme right-wing budget. It’s the same old story, Democratic lawmakers want to expand health care while Republicans want to rip it away from the most vulnerable.”

BACKGROUND 

GONE: 2023 Republican Threat to the ACA

MEMO: Republican Threats to Health Care Are as Real as Ever

This week we highlight federal initiatives that are working to advance policies and programs that can make an impact on health and other outcomes and are taking an intersectional lens to our present challenges. These federal efforts, along with new research that showcases the importance of primary care to address our behavioral health crisis and other promising interventions, provide important insights on actions we can collectively take to achieve health equity throughout the country. While new research has shown areas of progress and opportunity, other studies demonstrate and reinforce where we have fallen short.

Protect Our Care is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable and equitable health care a right, and not a privilege, for everyone in America. We advocate for policies that lower health care costs and strengthen coverage, which are critical to expanding access to quality health care and, ultimately, achieving better health outcomes, particularly for people of color, rural Americans, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, and more. Our strategies are driven by a broader commitment to tackling systemic inequities that persist due to racism and discrimination and the reality that multi-sector policies are needed to address basic conditions that affect health and related outcomes, particularly for marginalized communities.

INITIATIVES

Smart Cities Dive: President Biden Signs Executive Order on Promoting Racial Equity. “President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday directing federal agencies to create annual, publicly-available Equity Action Plans that evaluate and ‘address the barriers underserved communities may face in accessing and benefitting from the agency’s policies, programs, and activities.’ Advocates for racial equality heralded the measure as a step in the right direction. As part of the federal initiative, the Department of Housing and Urban Development opened a portal allowing local governments to request technical assistance for its Thriving Communities program to help align their housing needs with their infrastructure investments under 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure law. Other initiatives include advancing equitable procurement, improving data equity and transparency, boosting economic development in rural communities and addressing emerging civil rights concerns such as biased algorithms in AI.” [Smart Cities Dive, 2/17/23]

American Hospital Association: HHS Hosts Black Health Matters Summit to Promote Racial Equity. “The Department of Health and Human Services today hosted the first daylong HHS Black Health Summit in Washington, D.C., where department officials highlighted federal, state and local efforts to eliminate health disparities and HHS resources to help advance health equity. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra welcomed attendees and heralded the Biden Administration’s progress boosting Affordable Care Act enrollment and vaccine uptake among communities of color. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., author of comprehensive maternal health legislation, discussed efforts to reduce Black maternal mortality and morbidity. Additionally, Miriam Delphin-Rittman, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, senior advisor to the president for public engagement, emphasized the importance of faith-based and other community partnerships in eradicating stigma and improving access to mental health treatment. The event concluded with a grants workshop featuring representatives from eight HHS agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Administration for Children and Families, and Health Resources and Services Administration.” [AHA, 2/22/23]

Healthcare Finance News: Announcement of Medicare Benefit Expansion Mobility Devices will Help Address Disability Inequities. “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] has released a proposed National Coverage Determination on power seat elevation equipment on wheelchairs. This is the first National Coverage Determination to expand Medicare coverage for power seat elevation equipment on Group 3 power wheelchairs to allow individuals to have an easier transfer from the wheelchair to other surfaces. Group 3 power wheelchairs are designed to meet the needs of people with severe disabilities such as stroke, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and late-stage Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis. The National Coverage Determination proposal incorporates feedback from interested parties, particularly those who are focused on eliminating health disparities for people with disabilities, CMS said. CMS encourages comments from all interested parties, but in particular, people with Medicare and their families, providers, clinicians, consumer advocates, healthcare professional associations and from individuals serving populations facing disparities in health and healthcare. Additionally, CMS is specifically interested in gathering additional scientific literature that provides evidence surrounding the medical necessity for seat elevation systems through studies that include measurable characteristics related to the performance of transfers.” [Healthcare Finance News, 2/16/23]

WRAL News: How Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina Will Help Rural Residents. “[R]ural Americans are more likely to die prematurely from heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH also reports that the risk of fatal car crashes, suicide, and drug overdoses is also higher in rural communities. Those trends are colliding with the rising number of rural hospitals closing their doors. North Carolina alone has lost 11 hospitals with between six and 70 inpatient beds since 2006, according to the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Research from the 2019 Budget and Tax Center Report conducted by the North Carolina Justice Center indicates that Medicaid expansion would improve the physical and economic health of rural communities, as well as the hospitals that serve them. One study found that Medicaid expansion was associated with nearly 12 fewer deaths per 100,000 adults each year in states that have expanded Medicaid. In addition, according to the Commonwealth Fund, most Medicaid enrollees report higher rates of satisfaction than people with private insurance. Expanding Medicaid also helps rural hospitals by reducing the amount of uncompensated care they give. In Michigan, the cost of uncompensated care for uninsured people was cut in half after the state expanded Medicaid, a result seen across the country where states have adopted the program. By reducing that barrier to opening and growing a small business, the North Carolina Rural Center [also] projects that expanding Medicaid would create 83,000 jobs in North Carolina.” [WRAL News, 2/14/23]

Washington Post: Family Medicine May be a Factor in Improving Mental Health. “Primary care providers are at the forefront of the nation’s deepening behavioral health crisis because when patients walk into a doctor’s office, they bring all their needs with them. Asthma. Anxiety. Diabetes. Depression. Sniffles. Stress. A growing number of providers — like those at Charles Drew — are integrating behavioral health and primary care to improve the continuity of treatment and lower barriers to access. Now, the federal government is trying to bring down those barriers, too, by awarding 24 medical schools and hospitals a total of $60 million to train the next generation of primary care physicians — family medicine doctors, pediatricians, internists — to address behavioral health needs. Although behavioral and physical health are deeply intertwined, the two forms of care are often siloed in a poorly coordinated system. And patients often fall through the cracks of the disjointed system when they are referred to an outside specialist. The goal is to give people the space to share and to ensure they’re heard, [Sarah Abdelsayed] said, noting that it was common for appointments to last about an hour in her Buffalo offices after a racially motivated mass killing at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in the city. If patients need support beyond what primary care providers can offer, they don’t have to go somewhere else to get it with an integrated care model, often on-site. In such a setting, there’s a behavioral health team, social workers, therapists or psychiatrists often. Experts say this helps foster discretion and dignity, because people could be sitting in a waiting room for myriad reasons.” [Washington Post, 2/10/23]

McDermott Plus: Select Telehealth Flexibilities Extended Under Act. “The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (2023 CAA) (Public Law 117-328), signed into law on December 29, 2022, funds US government operations for fiscal year 2023 and provides roughly $1.7 trillion in overall spending. The 2023 CAA extends certain key telehealth flexibilities instituted during the public health emergency (PHE) through December 31, 2024, effectively untying these flexibilities from the continued existence of the PHE. While the 2023 CAA decouples the extension of many telehealth flexibilities from the PHE and provides extended coverage through December 31, 2024, other telehealth policies remain tied to the PHE and will expire if additional legislative or regulatory action is not taken. The Administration announced on January 30, 2023, its intent to end the PHE on May 11, 2023.” [McDermott Plus, February 2023]

Futurity: The ACA Has Helped Farm Workers Get and Stay Healthy. “More than 2.5 million agricultural workers help maintain the United States’ abundant food supply. They play a vital role in the economy, but their job is hard and often dangerous. This low-income, largely immigrant workforce has some of the worst health outcomes in the US. Traditionally, farm workers have had difficulty getting routine preventive care because they’re often itinerant, working for a succession of employers who don’t provide health benefits. In the new paper, Donkor and colleagues conclude that Obamacare is helping farmworkers in a significant way—while also reducing economic stress on the health care system. The researchers found Obamacare has not only substantially raised the share of seasonal farm workers with medical insurance, it also has increased their use of preventive medical care and decreased their use of hospitals, including emergency care. The [Affordable Care Act] ACA also reduced the likelihood of a farm worker forgoing medical care. Medicaid-eligible farm workers were nearly 19% less likely to go without care; those eligible for an insurance subsidy under the law were nearly 9% less likely. Hospital use, including emergency room visits, decreased by 4.4% for Medicaid-eligible farm workers and 1.5% for those eligible for subsidies. These effects didn’t significantly differ between people with and without preexisting conditions, which suggests that the ACA has benefited farm workers’ health across the board.” [Futurity, 2/24/23]

CHALLENGES

Washington Post: CDC Finds Teenage Girls Are Experiencing Increasingly High Rates of Violence and Suicide. “Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls reported in 2021 that they seriously considered suicide — up nearly 60 percent from a decade ago — according to new findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 15 percent of teen girls said they were forced to have sex, an increase of 27 percent over two years and the first increase since the CDC began tracking it. Almost 3 in 5 teenage girls reported feeling so persistently sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row during the previous year that they stopped regular activities — a figure that was double the share of boys and the highest in a decade, CDC data showed. Girls fared worse on other measures, too, with higher rates of alcohol and drug use than boys and higher levels of being electronically bullied, according to the 89-page report. Thirteen percent had attempted suicide during the past year, compared with 7 percent of boys. Richard Weissbourd, a psychologist and senior lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, said there is probably not a single cause to explain the data but rather interacting causes that vary by race, ethnicity, class, culture and access to mental health resources. In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association together declared ‘a national state of emergency’ in children’s mental health. A year later, the organizations sounded the alarm again.” [Washington Post, 2/13/23]

Los Angeles Times: Black Californians Hit Hardest for Health Disparities. “More than half of Black Californians said there was a time in the last few years when they thought they would have received better healthcare if they had belonged to a different racial or ethnic group, according to a report released Thursday. By comparison, 27% of Latinos, 12% of Asian people and 4% of white people responded the same way, the report said. The report from the California Health Care Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on health issues in the state, summarized results from a survey that asked more than 1,700 Californians about their views on health equity, health costs, health access, housing, their experience in the health system and more. The results come as lawmakers, health providers and public health agencies grapple with how to explain and curb longtime racial health inequities. Overall, 54% of Californians had experienced at least one negative provider interaction, including 64% of Californians with low incomes and 50% of those with higher incomes, according to the report. But even when controlling for geographic region, income, gender, language and age, Black Californians were twice as likely as white Californians to report any negative experiences with healthcare providers in recent years.

Pharmacy Times: Lower Income Communities Have Worse Cardiovascular Health Disparities. “Rural counties with a higher percentage of Black residents have higher rates of heart disease, despite a general decline in heart disease between 2009 and 2018, according to a paper by researchers at the University of Georgia published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Housing instability was an important factor that contributed to death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), as was food insecurity. This supports previous findings, which determined that having a low income can create stress that leads to inflammation and illness, thus providing an explanation as to why socioeconomic status can increase risk of death from CVD. In the current study, investigators collected data from this Department of Health survey. What they discovered is that counties with a higher incidence of CVD had a larger number of residents lived in mobile homes. Conversely, counties with higher household income and access to quality health insurance (Medicare) had lower rates of death from CVD. [Zhou] Chen explained that increasing food stamp availability could help address high rates of CVD in certain communities, although affordable housing and health care require more government action.” [Pharmacy Times, 2/23/23]

AP: Native Americans Are Facing Even More Barriers to Access Abortion Services Post-Roe. “Getting an abortion has long been extremely difficult for Native Americans….It has become even tougher since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. New, restrictive state laws add to existing hurdles: a decades-old ban on most abortions at clinics and hospitals run by the federal Indian Health Service, fewer nearby health centers offering abortions, vast rural expanses for many to travel, and poverty afflicting more than a quarter of the Native population. Among the six states with the highest proportion of Native American and Alaska Native residents, four – South Dakota, Oklahoma, Montana and North Dakota – have moved or are poised to further restrict abortion. South Dakota and Oklahoma ban it with few exceptions. In some communities, the distance to the nearest abortion provider has increased by hundreds of miles, said Lauren van Schilfgaarde, a member of Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico who directs the tribal legal development clinic at the University of California-Los Angeles. Many advocates worry that reduced abortion access will make things even worse for women already facing maternal death rates twice as high as their white peers, teen birth rates more than twice as high as whites, and the worst rates of sexual violence.” [AP, 2/14/23]

New York Times: Rural Hospitals Are Closing Their Maternity Units. “Astria Toppenish Hospital is one of a string of providers across the nation that have stopped providing labor and delivery care in an effort to control costs — even as maternal deaths increase at alarming rates in the United States, and as more women develop complications that can be life-threatening. From 2015 to 2019, there were at least 89 obstetric unit closures in rural hospitals across the country. By 2020, about half of rural community hospitals did not provide obstetrics care, according to the American Hospital Association. In the past year, the closures appear to have accelerated, as hospitals from Maine to California have jettisoned maternity units, mostly in rural areas where the population has dwindled and the number of births has declined. A study of hospital administrators carried out before the pandemic found that 20 percent of them said they did not expect to be providing labor and delivery services in five years’ time. Women in rural areas face a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, according to a study by the Commonwealth Fund. Those living in so-called maternity care deserts are three times as likely to die during pregnancy and the critical year afterward as those who are closer to care, according to a study of mothers in Louisiana. The United States is already the most dangerous developed country in the world for women to give birth, with a maternal mortality rate of 23.8 per 100,000 live births — or more than one death for every 5,000 live deliveries. Recent figures show that the problems are particularly acute in minority communities and especially among Native American women, whose risk of dying of pregnancy-related complications is three times as high as that of white women. Their babies are almost twice as likely to die during the first year of life as white babies. Women of color are more likely to live in maternity care deserts or in communities with limited access to care. According to the March of Dimes, the maternal health nonprofit, seven million women of childbearing age reside in counties where there is no hospital-based obstetric care, no birthing center, no obstetrician-gynecologist and no certified nurse midwife, or where those services are at least a 30-minute drive away.” [New York Times, 2/26/23]

New York Times: Maternal Mortality Rates Have Stopped Falling Globally for the First Time. “Although maternal mortality rates declined worldwide from 2000 to 2020, almost 800 women still die of pregnancy-related complications every day, according to a grim report issued Wednesday by the World Health Organization and other agencies of the United Nations. Despite early improvements in maternal health during the 20-year period, progress has stalled in many regions, and in recent years maternal mortality rates have risen sharply in Latin America, the Caribbean and, perhaps surprisingly, in Europe and North America. In the United States, maternal deaths rose sharply during the pandemic. In 2021, hundreds of deaths resulted from pregnancy complications exacerbated by Covid infections, according to data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Among wealthy industrialized nations, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate. According to the W.H.O., the rate almost doubled between 2000 and 2020, rising to 21 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, or one in 5,000, up from 12 deaths per 100,000 births in 2000, or 1 in 10,000. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose own figures put the U.S. maternal mortality rate for 2020 at 23.8 per 100,000, the risk is almost three times higher for Black women, at 55.3 per 100,000, than for white women, whose mortality rate is 19.1 per 100,000. Native American women also face a much higher risk of dying during and after pregnancy, compared with white women.” [New York Times, 2/22/23]

21 Million Americans Who Use Insulin Are Blocked From The $35 Insulin Cap As A Result Of Republicans In Congress

Watch Elise’s Story Here

Elise Oberdorfer-Douglas is a resident of Atlanta, GA, and a mother of two. Her 17-year-old daughter has lived with Type I diabetes for the past nine years. Elise and her husband are both self-employed, and despite having private insurance, they have been forced to ration supplies or rely on strangers to obtain the insulin her daughter needs to survive. Elise’s story is all too familiar and demonstrates why lawmakers must extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap to everyone.

Georgia Democrats, including Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07), have been leaders 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. They are committed health care champions who are fighting for a future where quality, affordable health care is a reality for Georgians and all Americans.

Protect Our Care is highlighting the importance of lower insulin costs as part of the fortnight of action. The Inflation Reduction Act capped monthly insulin copays for seniors on Medicare — a game changer for more than three million people. But 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. Read Protect Our Care’s full fact sheet here. 

Washington DC — This week, news reports have indicated that Republican lawmakers have been leaning on Trump’s Office of Management and Budget Director, Russ Vought, as they navigate debt ceiling negotiations. Vought’s plan includes massive cuts to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), undermining protections for pre-existing conditions, eliminating premium tax credits that make coverage affordable for nearly 15 million Americans, and repealing Medicaid expansion, which covers 20 million people. These cuts would be disastrous for the American people, disproportionately impacting children, rural Americans, and people of color. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“As Republicans hold our economy hostage, they are returning to some of their greatest hits: attacking American health care. Behind closed doors, they are relying on a far-right Trump appointee to draft their budget. Vought’s plan would effectively repeal the ACA, driving up costs for almost 15 million Americans and eliminating coverage altogether for more than 20 million people. Vought is also advocating for removing vital protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions by sending us back to the days when insurance companies could write the rules and deny coverage or charge more for people with pre-existing conditions. Make no mistake, Republican threats to health care are as real as ever, and we cannot let them get away with it.” 

BACKGROUND 

Trump’s Budget Director Russ Vought Is Working With Republicans To Slash Billions Of Dollars From Medicaid And The Affordable Care Act. Former Trump OMB Director Russ Vought now leads an influential think tank known as the Center for Renewing America where he has “quietly emerged as an intellectual leader of the GOP’s conservative flank” according to the Washington Post. Vought is in close contact with Republicans on Capitol Hill, briefing members of Congress at least three times about his budget plan and speaking to key lawmakers and staffers “at least once a week.” 

The Vought Plan Would Rip Medicaid Away From More Than 20 Million Americans. The Vought budget “repeals the authorizations created by Obamacare that permit states to expand their Medicaid programs.” The ACA’s expansion of Medicaid covers more than 21 million people who would have their care ripped away if Republicans were to enact this plan. 

The Vought Plan Raises Premiums For More Than 10 Million Americans. The Vought budget would fully repeal the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits that help millions of Americans afford quality health insurance. A record 16.3 million Americans signed up for coverage through the ACA marketplace this year, and with 80 percent of enrollees eligible for tax credits, over 13 million people could see their premiums soar if the Vought plan were enacted. 

The Vought Plan Puts Coverage For Tens Of Millions Of Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions At Risk. Vought’s plan lambastes the Affordable Care Act for providing “some subsidies to some people, only if they choose to purchase insurance the government defines in the way the government demands.” Removing the consumer protections enacted by the ACA would put insurance companies back in charge of your care and end protections for 54 million Americans with ‘declinable’ pre-existing conditions.

Washington DC — One year ago today, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) released a 12-point Republican plan that would sunset all federal legislation in five years. Not only would the Rick Scott plan put the Affordable Care Act in grave danger, but it threatens every federal health program, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Tens of millions of Americans could face complete coverage loss and seniors could lose the benefits they’ve worked their entire lives to secure. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“One year later, Rick Scott’s plan is still bad news for American health care. Sunsetting all programs would put Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act on the chopping block, threatening the health and well-being of tens of millions of families across the country. Some of these programs have been the bedrock of our nation for more than 50 years, and any effort to cut or privatize them would leave millions in the dust. As these threats have recently reemerged in debt ceiling negotiations, Rick Scott and other Republican leaders have only doubled down on their disastrous plans to rip away vital benefits from the American people — and we won’t let them get away with it.”   

Rick Scott’s Plan For America Would “Sunset” The Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid.  One year ago today, as chair of the NRSC, Senator Scott proposed a 12-point Republican plan that would sunset all federal legislation in five years. Not only would the Rick Scott plan put the Affordable Care Act in grave danger, but it threatens every federal health program, including Medicare and Medicaid. When asked about the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, Scott stated, “I don’t believe in grand bargains…We’ve got to reward people for caring for themselves.” As Governor of Florida, Rick Scott refused Medicaid expansion that would cover 833,000 Floridians and attempted to make it more difficult for Floridians to sign up for Medicaid, suggesting a reduction in the amount of time individuals have to enroll from 90 to 30 days. Scott wasn’t acting alone in his support for this radical plan. Many high-profile Republicans signaled their support, including Senator Ron Johnson, RNC Chairwoman Rona McDaniel, Senator Mike Braun, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Tommy Tuberville, Congressman Matt Gaetz, and Senator Joni Ernst.     

Rick Scott Spent The Last Year Doubling Down On His Plan To Put The ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare At Risk.  Rick Scott has spent the last year repeatedly promoting his plan to put every health care program on the chopping block.  When President Biden pledged to protect Medicare during his State of the Union address, Scott tweeted, “In my plan, I suggested the following: All federal legislation sunsets in 5 yrs. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again” and then went on a media tour promoting his plan.  After Republican Senate candidates performed poorly in the 2022 elections, Scott insisted that he had no regrets about his scheme, writing, “Yes, I put out a plan of ideas, and I don’t regret it one bit. Yes, one of them suggested sunsetting laws after five years — noting that if a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.”  Over the last year, Scott has tweeted countless times and made dozens of media appearances continuing to hammer his proposal to put the ACA, Medicaid, Medicare and health care for tens of millions of Americans at constant risk.  

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.”