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ashoup
In Fact Sheet, Research

FACT SHEET: The Affordable Care Act Has Lowered Costs and Expanded Women’s Access to Care

Protect Our Care Is Marking the 14th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act With 5 Days Celebrating the Growing Success of the Health Care Law Under President Biden

Over the last 14 years, the ACA has served as the backbone of the American health care system and has helped tens of millions of Americans gain access to affordable health coverage. Thanks to President Biden’s efforts to lower the cost of health care, a record-breaking 21.3 million Americans signed up for coverage through the Marketplaces for 2024. The Inflation Reduction Act lowered premiums for people who buy their own coverage by an average of $2,400 a year per family.

The ACA has survived countless repeal attempts and now it’s stronger than ever. Yet Republicans still want to destroy the ACA and all of its protections for over 100 million people with pre-existing conditions. Donald Trump has fully reignited his calls to repeal the ACA. As Trump is escalating his threat, Republicans in Congress and their allies are working overtime to dismantle reproductive care and access to vital preventive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for the American people. Additionally, Republican allies in the courts are attacking the ACA’s requirement that insurers cover preventive services like birth control and breast cancer screenings for free, jeopardizing lifesaving care for millions. Read more about the case here. 

Over the next five days, Protect Our Care is highlighting five key ways the ACA is working across the nation: 

Monday, March 18: How the ACA helps women
Tuesday, March 19: How the ACA helps seniors & young people
Wednesday, March 20: How the ACA helps people with pre-existing conditions
Thursday, March 21: How the ACA helps people of color
Friday, March 22: How the ACA expanded affordable coverage to tens of millions of Americans

Background:

Among the many benefits of the ACA, the health care law ensures that women cannot be charged more than men for the same coverage. Additionally, 68 million women with pre-existing conditions like diabetes and asthma are protected from discrimination, and they are no longer subject to annual or lifetime limits. The ACA also guarantees free preventive care, such as mammograms, Pap smears, and other important screenings, in addition to providing birth control with no out-of-pocket fees. These benefits, along with the creation of the ACA Marketplace and expansion of Medicaid, have improved the health of women across the country. 

By the Numbers

  • 68 million women with pre-existing conditions cannot be charged more or denied coverage. 
  • 8.7 million women received affordable health care through the Marketplace thanks to the Affordable Care Act in 2023.
  • Nearly 2.2 million more women were able to access health care from the ACA Marketplace from 2021 to 2023 who may not have been able to afford health coverage before.
  • Marketplace users have saved over $800 annually thanks to the subsidy provisions in the IRA.
  • Over 53 percent of those enrolling for health coverage through the ACA Marketplace identify as a woman, representing around one in ten of all women between 19 and 64.
  • Between 66 percent and 75 percent of women are able to access IUDs and implants at no cost.
  • Women have been found to have improved birth outcomes thanks in part to the dependent coverage expansion, with one study showing women covered saw a 2.2 percent decrease in preterm births.
  • In states that have expanded Medicaid, there are around 7.0 fewer maternal deaths per 100,000 live births than in non-expansion states.

68 Million Women With Pre-Existing Conditions Cannot Be Charged More Or Denied Coverage. Prior to the ACA, conditions like asthma, diabetes, and even pregnancy were grounds for insurance companies to charge more or deny coverage altogether. Additionally, insurance companies could impose annual and lifetime limits on coverage, which further eroded access to care for the sickest patients. 

Women Cannot Be Charged More Than Men For The Same Coverage. Before the ACA, women were often charged premiums on the nongroup market of up to 50 percent higher than men for the same coverage, and 1 in 5 women reported postponing or going without preventive care due to cost. Thanks to the ACA, insurers cannot charge women more than men for the same coverage, and women gained access to important preventive care services with no out-of-pocket costs. 

Women Have Access To Affordable Health Coverage. The share of working-aged women making at or below 400 percent of the FPL who report difficulty accessing health coverage due to cost has fallen by over 25 percent since the ACA’s implementation. Low-income women in Medicaid expansion states aged 19 to 44 have seen a 3.8 percent reduction in unmet health care needs when compared to nonexpansion states.

Women Have Access To Free Preventive Care. All Marketplace plans must cover over 27 preventive services ranging from cancer screenings to pre- and post-natal care without any co-pay. Women are 5.1 percent more likely to access cholesterol screenings, 6.9 percent more likely to receive mammograms, 3.3 percent more likely to have blood pressure screenings, and 3.1 percent more likely to have talked to a doctor over the past twelve months.

Women Have Increased Access To Mental Health Treatment. Unmet mental health care needs for women have declined since the ACA’s implementation which has led to a decrease in emergency department visits for psychiatric diagnosis.

More Than 60 Million People Have Access To Birth Control With No Out-Of-Pocket Fees. The ACA guarantees that private health plans cover 18 methods of contraception and make them available to 62.4 million patients with no out-of-pocket costs. More than 99 percent of sexually active women have used contraceptives at some point in their lifetimes, and approximately 60 percent of women of reproductive age currently use at least one birth control method. In addition to increasing access to this essential treatment, this ACA provision has saved money for women and their families: women saved $1.4 billion on birth control pills alone in 2013. Between 66 percent and 75 percent of women are able to access IUDs and implants at no cost.

Women Can No Longer Face Discrimination In Health Care Settings. Section 1557 of the ACA prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability by any health program or activity receiving federal assistance. It also prohibits these types of discrimination in health programs and activities administered by HHS as well as the ACA marketplaces. 

Nursing Parents Gained Breastfeeding Support And Critical Workplace Protections. The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to cover breastfeeding support and counseling as well as breast pumps without cost-sharing for pregnant and nursing women. 

ashoup
In Fact Sheet, Research

FACT SHEET: 14 Years Later, The Affordable Care Act Is Woven Into the Fabric of America

Read the Full PDF Here

Next week marks the 14th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since President Obama signed the ACA into law on March 23, 2010, it has become woven into the fabric of our nation. Thanks to President Biden’s efforts to lower the cost of health care, a record-breaking 21.3 million Americans signed up for coverage through the Marketplaces for 2024. The Inflation Reduction Act has built on the law’s strong foundation by lowering premiums for people who buy their own coverage by an average of $2,400 a year per family.

At the same time, about 24 million people have gained health care coverage through the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Right now, one in four Americans is covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid expansion has decreased income inequality, increased access to preventative care, and saved lives. 

Millions of Americans depend on the ACA in order to stay healthy and financially secure. It’s not just about coverage. It includes a broad range of cost savings and protections that touch nearly every household in the country. For example, if the ACA is repealed, over 100 million Americans with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage or charged more, 52 million seniors would have to pay more for prescription drugs, and insurance companies would not be required to cover preventative care, such as vaccinations, contraception, and cancer screening.

The ACA has survived countless repeal attempts, and now it’s stronger than ever. Yet Republicans still want to destroy the ACA and all of its protections for over 100 million people with pre-existing conditions. Donald Trump has reignited his calls to repeal the ACA. As Trump is escalating his threats to repeal the ACA, Republicans in Congress and their allies are working overtime to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs for the American people. 

14 years ago, not a single Republican voted for the ACA and since then, they have continuously called for repeal. In 2016, Republicans passed the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015, only to be vetoed by President Obama. 2017 brought numerous attempts at repeal all of which failed to pass and become law.

Yet the threats did not stop there. Several Republican candidates up for election in 2024 have campaigned on overturning the ACA. Donald Trump alone has promised to overturn the ACA at least seven times last year. 

President Biden has shown what it means to make health care better — he has lowered prescription drug and insurance costs, helped families connect to coverage, and taken on big drug companies and other corporate interests. The MAGA-Republican plan to gut health care will only take us backwards and throw the entire health care system into chaos.

A Closer Look at How the Affordable Care Act Is Lowering Health Care Costs Across the Country:

About 46 Million Americans Have Affordable Health Coverage. Because of the ACA, about 46 million Americans have health coverage through the Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP. 

More Than 21.3 Million People Signed Up For Coverage They Can Afford Through The Marketplace. In 2024, a record-breaking 21.3 million people who buy insurance on their own signed up for health coverage through the ACA Marketplace. This is the highest number of Americans to ever enroll during an Open Enrollment Period and it is thanks to policies that lowered premiums in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act. Families are now saving an average of $2,400 a year on their health insurance premiums.

Americans Are Saving More Than Ever On Health Care Premiums. Most people receiving coverage through the Marketplace qualify for tax credits to help pay for their premiums, and the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act made these savings more generous and available to more people. Four out of five people enrolling in a Marketplace plan have a plan for less than $10. The Inflation Reduction Act builds on the ACA by ensuring all enrollees never pay more than 8.5 percent of their household income on premiums. The Inflation Reduction Act expanded the eligibility for premium tax credits above 400 percent of the federal poverty level through 2025 — roughly $54,000 for a single person or $111,000 for a family of four. Previously, families earning more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level spent an average of 15 percent of their incomes on health insurance. Americans earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (roughly $20,000 for a single person and $41,000 for a family of four) who buy their coverage on the Marketplace are able to enroll in a plan with $0 premiums.

Lower Health Costs Have Improved Access To Care And Financial Security. Between 2010 and 2018, the share of non-elderly adults with a problem paying a medical bill fell by 17 percent, the share who didn’t fill a prescription fell by 27 percent, the share who skipped a test or treatment fell by 24 percent, and the share who didn’t visit a provider when needing care fell by 19 percent.

Prescription Drugs Are Considered Essential. Thanks to the ACA, insurers have to cover what are known as “essential health benefits,” and that includes prescription drugs. This required all health insurance plans to cover at least one drug in every category and class of approved medicines.

More Than 60 Million Gained Access To Birth Control With No Out-Of-Pocket Costs. The ACA guarantees that private health plans cover all FDA-approved forms of contraception and make them available to 58 million patients with no out-of-pocket costs. More than 99 percent of sexually active women have used contraceptives at some point in their lifetimes, and approximately 60 percent of women of reproductive age currently use at least one birth control method. In addition to increasing access to this essential treatment, this ACA provision has saved money for women and their families: women saved $1.4 billion on birth control pills alone in 2013.

A Closer Look at How the Affordable Care Act Is Protecting Patients Across the Country:

Over 100 Million Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions Are Protected. Because of the ACA, insurers in the individual market can no longer drop or deny coverage, or charge more because of a pre-existing condition. Over 100 million Americans have a pre-existing health condition. Without the ACA, millions of Americans who have contracted COVID-19 would likely be deemed as having a pre-existing condition and be at the mercy of their insurance companies who could refuse to pay for needed care. 

The ACA Guarantees Comprehensive Coverage. Because of the ACA, insurers have to cover what are known as “essential health benefits,” such as maternity care, prescription drugs, and substance and mental health. Before the ACA, individual market plans often failed to cover these basic, and oftentimes preventive, health services. 

The ACA Ended Annual And Lifetime Limits, Including For People With Employer-Based Coverage. Thanks to the ACA, insurers can no longer put annual or lifetime limits on the care you receive. At the time the ACA was passed, 91 million Americans had health care through their employers that imposed lifetime limits. Many such plans capped benefits at $1 million, functionally locking people with complex medical needs out of coverage. 179 million Americans with employer coverage are protected from lifetime limits, in addition to the millions with ACA Marketplace coverage. 

Women Can No Longer Be Charged More Than Men. Because of the ACA, insurers can no longer charge women more than men for the same coverage, and insurers are now required to cover important health benefits like maternity care. Before the ACA, only 12 percent of individual market plans offered maternity care. The ACA established maternity coverage as one of the ten essential health benefits required on all new individual and small group policies. The American Rescue Plan created a pathway to coverage for pregnant Americans, allowing states to extend postpartum coverage under Medicaid from 60 days to 12 months following pregnancy. The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world, with 30 percent of maternal deaths occurring between six weeks and one year following delivery, after Medicaid coverage has ended.

LGBTQI+ Americans Are Protected From Discrimination By Health Insurance Companies. Republicans have worked to sabotage the Biden administration’s efforts to require health insurance plans offered through the ACA to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics. LGBTQI+ Americans are more likely to be without health insurance than straight individuals. According to a Center for American Progress survey, in 2019, the LGBTQI+ uninsured rate was 20 percent in holdout states, compared to 8 percent in states that adopted Medicaid expansion. Access to affordable, quality health care plans under the ACA and its expansion under the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act help combat the number of LGBTQI+ Americans who are uninsured. Premium subsidies made available by the ARP helped nearly 210,000 LGBTQI+ enrollees have access to zero-premium plans.

A Closer Look at How the Affordable Care Act Is Expanding Health Care Access Across the Country:

States Have The Option To Expand Medicaid. Because of the ACA, states can expand Medicaid to millions of adults who previously did not qualify for affordable health care. 24.3 million Americans were enrolled in Medicaid thanks to Medicaid expansion. Between 2013 and 2020, states that expanded their programs saw a 33.9 percent increase in Medicaid enrollment. 

Rural Hospitals Benefit From Medicaid Expansion And Lower Premiums. Through lower premiums and expanded Medicaid, the ACA has profoundly reduced uncompensated care costs, which are often the direct result of individuals who are uninsured or underinsured. Studies published in 2021 found that Medicaid expansion resulted in hospitals receiving higher reimbursements and decreased uncompensated care costs. In 2019, uncompensated care costs in expansion states were less than half of those in non-expansion states. Compared to 2013, hospitals’ uncompensated care costs decreased by more than $14 billion in 2017, or 26 percent. 

Medicaid Expansion Improved Health Outcomes And Saved Lives. A study published in the Journal of Health Economics found that Medicaid expansion reduced all-cause mortality in people aged 20 to 64 by 3.6 percent. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid expansion saved the lives of 19,200 older adults aged 55 to 64 between 2014 and 2017. At the same time, 15,600 older adults died prematurely as a result of their state’s decision not to expand the program. 

Children Benefit From Medicaid Expansion. When parents have health insurance, their children are more likely to be insured. A study in Health Affairs found that 710,000 children gained public coverage as a result of their parents enrolling in Medicaid between 2013 and 2015. 

Medicaid Expansion Leads To Decrease In Income Inequality. A January 2021 study found the ACA helped reduce income inequality across the board, but far more dramatically in Medicaid expansion states. The bottom 10th percentile of earners In Medicaid expansion states saw a 22.4 percent boost in their income, compared to 11.4 percent in non-expansion states. A 2019 study found that Medicaid Expansion also caused a “significant” reduction in poverty. 

A Closer Look at How the Affordable Care Act Improves Access to Preventive Services and Reduces Racial Inequity:

ACA Requires Free Preventive Care. Because of the ACA, health plans must cover preventive services — like flu shots, cancer screenings, contraception, and mammograms – at no cost to consumers. This includes the 179 million Americans with employer coverage. Importantly, the ACA requires plans to cover all vaccinations recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), including vaccines for COVID-19. Preventive care is essential to comprehensive coverage and because of the ACA, insurers have to cover what are known as “essential health benefits,” such as maternity care, prescription drugs, and substance and mental health. 

Medicaid Expansion Leads To Expansion In Available Preventive Care Services. Medicaid expansion has helped patients access preventive care, including colon cancer screenings. Expansion has also increased patient access to kidney transplants and made diabetes medication more affordable for low-income patients. The program was also tied to earlier diagnoses of colorectal cancer and reducing diabetes-related amputations.

Preventive Care Has Reduced Racial Disparities In Health Outcomes. Access to preventive care starts with access to affordable coverage. The ACA led to historic reductions in racial disparities in access to health care, but racial gaps in insurance coverage narrowed the most in states that adopted Medicaid expansion. The ACA significantly reduced racial disparities in the share of people who went without care because of cost. 

Medicaid Expansion Has Led To Improvements To Infant And Maternal Health. Whether coverage comes from Medicaid expansion or increased access to affordable coverage on the ACA Marketplace, coverage improves infant and maternal mortality outcomes. One study found that reductions in maternal mortality in expansion states were concentrated among Black mothers, “suggesting that expansion could be contributing to decreasing racial disparities in maternal mortality.” Expansion has also been tied to improving health outcomes for Black babies, significantly reducing racial disparities in low birth weight and premature birth. 

Preventive Care Leads To Improvements In Disease-Specific Diagnosis And Treatment. A 2017 study called preventive care “one of the most important health care strategies to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, improve quality of life, and prevent premature death.” Access to preventive care through Medicaid expansion reduced racial disparities in cancer care and resulted in earlier diagnosis and treatment for Black patients. According to the Center for American Progress, Black women were more likely to receive care because of the ACA.

ashoup
In Research, Report, News

NEW: Protect Our Care, NAACP Release Report on How the Inflation Reduction Act is Working to Lower Costs for Black Americans

Read the Report Here.

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care and the NAACP are releasing a report detailing how the Inflation Reduction Act benefits Black Americans nationwide. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, health care and prescription drugs are becoming more affordable for more people in the United States. 

According to the report, Black Americans disproportionately face adverse health outcomes such as higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more affordability challenges when it comes to getting the care and prescriptions they need. The Inflation Reduction Act is working to lower costs nationwide by lowering premiums for people who buy health insurance on their own, capping the cost of insulin, limiting out-of-pocket spending for seniors’ prescriptions, providing no-cost vaccines, and empowering Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. These lower costs translate to better access to care as a record number of Black Americans have enrolled in low- or no-cost Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans.

States with the highest Black populations like California, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Virginia benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act as six of the first ten drugs selected for negotiation treat conditions that disproportionately impact Black Americans:

  • Black Americans are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and twice as likely to die from the disease, which is treated by Januvia, Jardiance, Farxiga, and Fiasp/NovoLog. The negotiation program could lower costs for approximately 427,620 Black American enrollees taking Januvia, Jardiance, Farxiga, and Fiasp/NovoLog as of 2022.
  • Black Americans are more than three times as likely to be diagnosed with end-stage renal disease related to diabetes. Farxiga treats kidney disease and diabetes. The negotiation program could lower costs for approximately 96,000 Black American enrollees taking Farxiga as of 2022.
  • Black Americans are more likely to have activity limitations due to arthritis than their white counterparts. Enbrel treats arthritis. The negotiation program could lower costs for approximately 5,500 Black American enrollees taking Enbrel as of 2022.
  • Black American Medicare beneficiaries have nearly 2.5 times higher rates of emergency department visits for hypertension and more than twice the emergency care rates for heart failure than their white counterparts. Farxiga and Entresto treat heart failure and high blood pressure can cause blood clots, which Eliquis and Xarelto treat. The negotiation program could lower costs for approximately 191,500 Black American enrollees taking Farxiga, Eliquis, and Entresto as of 2022.

Since the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, big drug companies have spent millions of dollars lobbying and filed meritless lawsuits to block the Negotiation Program from lowering drug prices. Medicare negotiation will save seniors and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, and it’s the most popular provision of the Inflation Reduction Act. However, every Republican voted in Congress voted against the Inflation Reduction Act and Republicans have now introduced legislation to repeal it and are fighting to protect drug company profits. Read more on Republicans’ threats to health care here. 

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

“The Inflation Reduction Act is making a difference, especially for families who need it most. Black Americans have faced too many barriers to accessing the care they need, leading to negative health outcomes. Our report finds that thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, millions of Black families have more breathing room to see a doctor when they get sick and get the medicines they need to stay healthy without sacrificing other basic needs like food, housing, or saving for their future. But all this progress is under attack from Republicans. While Democrats lower costs for people, Republicans are doing the bidding of big drug companies, fighting to dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act and ban Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices, driving up costs for millions. We must celebrate the accomplishments of the Inflation Reduction Act, and continue to fight to ensure everyone has the health care they need, no matter who they are or where they live.”

Dr. Chris T. Pernell, Director of the Center for Health Equity at the NAACP issued the following statement:

“The fight to protect and advance the health of Black Americans is at the forefront of our mandate to improve Black lives. The Inflation Reduction Act is a necessary tool to beat back the barriers to access to care and the cost of prescription drugs especially. Assuring optimal health for all communities, particularly those who have been saddled with higher rates of chronic disease and staggering costs, is exactly where the Biden-Harris Administration should be focused. This is what equity in action looks like – saving lives, preventing disease, and controlling costs.”

ashoup
In Research, Report, News

NEW REPORT: In 2023, Greedy Drug Companies Raked in $684 Billion and Spent $106 Billion Rewarding Shareholders

Big Drug Companies and Their MAGA Republican Allies Are Putting Profits Over Patients Detailed in New Report.

Read the Full Report Here.

Washington, D.C. — Protect Our Care is releasing a new report detailing pharmaceutical companies’ sky-high revenues as they continue charging unaffordable prices to patients. The report found that in 2023, 16 of the largest drug companies raked in $684 billion, and they spent $106 billion rewarding shareholders. For too long, drug companies have been allowed to charge whatever they want, gouging patients to the point that more than 1 in 3 Americans report cutting pills or skipping doses because they can’t afford their medication.

“Drug companies’ greed is only getting worse,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Our nation’s seniors are depending on the savings from the Inflation Reduction Act so they don’t have to choose between filling their prescription and filling their refrigerator. In the richest country in the world, no one should be cutting pills or skipping doses. It is reprehensible that big drug companies and MAGA Republicans continue to put profits over people as they work to block negotiations in court and gut the program in Congress.”

Many of the drugmakers highlighted in the report are the same companies in court now to stop Medicare’s ability to negotiate lower drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act. Drug companies have also been working behind the scenes with Republican lawmakers to repeal all of the Inflation Reduction Act’s provisions to make prescription drugs more affordable for millions of seniors. Big drug companies claim that the new law to make drugs more affordable will harm patients, but in reality, they’re telling investors the opposite and spending billions on rewarding their investors through stock buybacks and dividends, paying their executives millions, and spending millions lobbying to keep their prices high.

Key Points:

  • We followed the 2023 earnings reports of 16 drug companies.
  • These 16 companies reported $684.1 billion in total global revenue and have announced dividend payments and stock buybacks totaling $105.9 billion.
  • The seven publicly held companies currently suing to ban Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices reported $343 billion in revenue. Those same companies reported shareholder compensation in the form of stock buybacks and dividends totaling $53 billion.
ashoup
In News, Report, Research

“Our Work Is Making a Difference”: Senator Baldwin Joins Protect Our Care and Young Invincibles to Release New Report on How the ACA Benefits Young Americans

Read the New Report Here. 

Watch the Full Event Here.

Washington, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Protect Our Care and Young Invincibles to discuss how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is benefiting young people across the nation by providing access to more affordable health coverage. During the call, speakers discussed how the ACA is working to benefit young Americans, and how President Biden and Democrats in Congress are protecting and expanding these benefits. Right now, four out of five ACA enrollees can find coverage for $10 or less per month. Open enrollment is set to close on January 16, with some exceptions for state-run marketplaces. 

According to the report, the ACA has lowered costs and made coverage more available to young people through policies including Medicaid expansion, affordable Marketplace coverage, and the requirement that insurers must allow people up to age 26 to stay on their parent’s health plan. This has expanded young people’s access to essential services like mental health care. In 2023, enrollment in the ACA Marketplaces reached an all-time high, with 15.7 million Americans receiving coverage. More than one in four, or 4.1 million of those enrolled in Marketplace coverage were between the ages of 18 and 34.

“Over a decade ago, when we passed the Affordable Care Act, I was proud to champion the provision that for the first time allowed young people to stay on their parent’s insurance until 26 and fight for Americans who were previously locked out of insurance because of pre-existing conditions,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). “There’s more work to do, but as we enter another record-breaking year for enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, we’re reminded of the difference this historic step forward is making for millions of Americans, including young people who are benefitting every day from accessible mental health, reproductive, and primary care. Our work is making a difference.”

“Medicaid expansion, the ability to stay on their parents’ coverage until age 26, and the creation of the ACA marketplaces have all provided more opportunities for young people to enroll in coverage,”  said Mina Schultz, Health Policy and Advocacy Manager at Young Invincibles. “The financial help available to lower the monthly cost of coverage has put coverage within reach for millions. And importantly, with half of young adults living with a mental health condition, mental health care has never been more accessible. Thus far, in the 11th annual ACA marketplace open enrollment period, there has been a record number of 20 million people enrolled in coverage. This report is important, now more than ever, to lift up the experiences of young people in the health care system as we work ever more towards equitable, accessible, and affordable health care for all.” 

“The Affordable Care Act has been revolutionary for young people, ” said Alex Soltany, advocate. “For young adults, this access to health coverage is essential and can be life or death. We never think we’re going to need coverage but that’s why having health insurance coverage is so important. A couple of years ago, a close friend of mine unexpectedly suffered a broken collarbone while playing sports. In college, he was covered under his university student health plan but upon graduation, he lost that coverage. He didn’t qualify for employer-sponsored insurance and went looking for insurance on his own. His decision to purchase health insurance through the ACA marketplace saved him from thousands of dollars in medical debt he would have incurred from ambulance, hospital, and surgical fees. If he had been uninsured, he would have been unable to afford his monthly rent.”

“My 15-year-old brother and I are fortunate to have never known a time in which we’ve had to worry about covering our health care costs, thanks to the trailblazing efforts of Senator Baldwin and President Obama,” said Chandra Chouhan, advocate. “We must realize one very important thing – the Affordable Care Act is about more than coverage. It’s about preserving the health and well-being of all Americans so we can pursue our shared freedoms and dreams. When I hear about Donald Trump and Wisconsin Republicans threatening to terminate the ACA without any regard for the tens of millions of Americans who depend on it, I feel scared to witness such a blatant disregard for human life. We must take action to reelect leaders like Senator Baldwin, who are committed to preserving and expanding the ACA.”

“The Affordable Care Act has been a game-changer for young people across the nation, and the impact of the health care law only continues to grow as President Biden and Democrats work to drive down costs,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Our report finds that millions of young people have health insurance because of the ACA, which has helped more people receive critical services like mental health and addiction treatment, cancer screenings, and prenatal care. But the ACA is under relentless attack from Republicans and in the courts. Donald Trump has promised repeatedly that if he’s elected, he will eliminate the Affordable Care Act. So not only must we celebrate the accomplishments of the Affordable Care Act, but we must remain ever vigilant in protecting it from its enemies as more Americans rely on it. ”

ashoup
In News, Report, Research

NEW REPORT: “A Dark Cloud Over U.S. Drug Approval” – How FDA Approvals Could Be Thrown Into Chaos Post-Mifepristone Case

Read the Full Report Here.

Washington, D.C. — Following the announcement that the Supreme Court will hear Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration next term, Protect Our Care is releasing a new report that describes what is at risk if the Supreme Court sets the precedent of allowing courts to overrule the FDA’s drug approval decisions. The report provides a detailed look at the categories of drugs that could be most at risk from ideological opponents and friendly judges. 

Earlier this year, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk invalidated the FDA’s approval of mifepristone and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals severely restricted access to mifepristone, but the Supreme Court stayed this decision. A decision to ban mifepristone would threaten millions of women’s access to safe and legal abortions and open the door for the politically motivated destruction of the entire drug approval process.

The report explains if the Supreme Court opens the door, the public could lose access to other critical and lifesaving health care such as:

  • other abortion and contraception products
  • common vaccines opposed by anti-vaxxers
  • drugs and vaccines that were developed with fetal cell lines, including ones that protect against Hepatitis A
  • vital treatments for gender-affirming care and HIV prevention
  • innovative cell and gene therapies
  • embryonic stem cell research
  • investments into future treatments with the potential to treat or cure diseases like Parkinson’s, cancer, and diabetes

“A dark cloud looms over the drug approval and development processes as the Supreme Court weighs allowing politics to trump science,” said Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care. “If the lower courts’ decisions stand, any third party with a political agenda can challenge a medication they object to, and judges could ignore expert opinions and arbitrarily rip away lifesaving drugs and vaccines from patients who rely on them.  The entire FDA approval process would be thrown into chaos and millions of people across the nation would suffer.”

ashoup
In News, Report, Research

Reps. Judy Chu and Barbara Lee Discuss How the Inflation Reduction Act is Benefiting Asian Americans Nationwide

Read the Full Report Here. 

Watch the Full Event Here.

Washington, DC — Today, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair (CAPAC) Judy Chu (CA-28) and CAPAC Healthcare Task Force Co-Chair Barbara Lee (CA-12) joined Protect Our Care and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum to discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act is benefiting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPIs) communities across the nation. By lowering health care premiums and prescription drug prices, the Inflation Reduction Act is making care more affordable for AA and NHPIs, and addressing longstanding disparities in access to care and health outcomes. 

Efforts to make health care more affordable and accessible are particularly important for AA and NHPIs, who have historically faced greater barriers to achieving and maintaining optimal health. The 25.2 million Asian Americans and 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders living in the U.S. have long been more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions like kidney failure, heart disease, and hypertension, and Asian American seniors are more likely than their white counterparts to report difficulty affording prescription medications. During the call, speakers will discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act is working to benefit AA and NHPIs, and other actions President Biden is taking to ensure everyone has the health care they need to thrive. 

“I was so proud to work with my Democratic colleagues in Congress to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, landmark legislation to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs and make real, tangible differences in the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation,” said U.S. Representative Judy Chu (CA-28), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair. “With the findings from today’s report by Protect Our Care and Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, we can now confirm how AANHPIs, who disproportionately suffer from certain chronic health conditions and diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure, have benefited from the law’s provisions. I look forward to future collaboration with my colleagues and outside advocates to ensure no one in America faces the prospect of going without necessary health care or prescription drugs because of exorbitant cost.”

“It’s been over a year since House Democrats successfully fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, and we’re starting to see the vast benefits in communities across the country—especially to our health care system,” said U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (CA-12), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Healthcare Task Force Co-Chair. “Thanks to this report by Protect Our Care and APIA Health Forum, we can see just how much the IRA is lowering the health care and prescription drug costs for AANHPI families, especially those in California. I thank Chairwoman Chu for her leadership in the AANHPI community, and look forward to continuing our work together.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act includes significant provisions that alleviate barriers to health care for communities like ours,” said Juliet K. Choi, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. “We are proud to be able to present results today that prove when we put communities’ needs first, we are stronger and healthier together. But this is just the start. With continued partnerships, from the national level to community, we can progress toward a more sustainable and equitable future.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer, especially for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander families,” said Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care. “Between lowering premium costs for families, and driving down drug costs for people on Medicare, the benefits of this historic legislation are already being seen across the nation. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, not only are Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander seniors and families saving thousands of dollars a year, but they are also better able to access the health care they need and deserve.”

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In Fact Sheet, Research

NEW: State-By-State Fact Sheets Show How Republican Calls to Repeal the ACA Jeopardizes Health Care for Millions of People Across the Nation

Read the Fact Sheets Here. 

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is releasing 50 state-by-state fact sheets to underscore the threat of  Donald Trump’s promise to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the MAGA Republican war on health care. The consequences of repealing the ACA would touch nearly every household in the country. In addition to 20 million losing coverage, over 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions would lose critical protections, 49 million seniors would have to pay more for prescription drugs, insurance companies would not be required to cover preventative care, such as vaccinations, contraception, and cancer screenings, and could once again impose annual and lifetime limits on benefits and charge women more. Protect Our Care’s new fact sheets outline how repealing the ACA would have devastating ramifications across the nation. 

Protect Our Care Founder Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“After all the years, the Affordable Care Act is now woven into the fabric of the nation, and the data shows how the law lowers costs and improves care for Americans across the country. More people are relying on the ACA than ever before, and millions are finding health insurance for $10 or less a month thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress. However, Trump and MAGA Republicans will stop at nothing to repeal the ACA which would raise costs, rip away coverage, and eliminate critical protections including pre-existing conditions. Some things never change: Republicans are more concerned about siding with big drug and insurance companies than the health care and well-being of tens of millions of hardworking people across our country.”

The new reports come as new polling shows the favorability of the ACA is at an all-time high. Across the country, millions are ​​counting on it to protect their coverage and lower their costs. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, 80% of people can now get coverage through the ACA for under $10. In the first week of the 2024 open enrollment period, a record 1.6 million people signed up for health care coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. The ACA is extremely popular and provides coverage to more than ever before.

ashoup
In Fact Sheet, Research

FACT SHEET: If Republicans Get Their Way, 65 Million Seniors Will Pay More For Health Care

The Inflation Reduction Act reduces the cost of prescription drugs and slashes costs for millions of seniors. Every House and Senate Republican in 2021 voted against the provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act giving Medicare the power to negotiate prices on select drugs, lowering drug prices, reducing health care premiums, capping insulin costs, and improving care for seniors and people with disabilities. 

Currently, price negotiations are underway for ten drugs which make up around 20 percent of all Medicare Part D spending and are taken by nearly 9 million people. Americans currently pay two to four times more for prescriptions than people in other countries and if Republicans have their way that will only increase. The repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act is at the very top of the Republican legislative agenda and they are just getting started. If the history of efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act is any indication, the Republican party will continue to attempt to block life-saving programs, preventing Americans from getting quality and affordable health care.

If the Inflation Reduction Act is repealed: 

  • GONE: Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prices for the most popular and expensive prescription drugs, leading to higher out-of-pocket costs for more seniors.
  • GONE: Medicare beneficiaries’ prescription drug savings, including a $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap and protections from Big Pharma’s price gouges. 
  • GONE: Free vaccines for seniors, including for shingles and pneumonia. 
  • GONE: $35 monthly insulin caps for Medicare beneficiaries.
  • GONE: Improving racial and ethnic health disparities will regress as insurance becomes less affordable.
  • GONE: Expanded eligibility for the Extra Help program, putting affordable prescription drug coverage further out of reach for millions of seniors.

Republicans have partnered with drug companies to roll back Medicare’s price negotiation power. Negotiating lower prices remains overwhelmingly popular among voters of all parties across the country. Unfortunately, Republicans are attempting to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act in its entirety, placing these equity-advancing improvements at risk while drug companies simultaneously, in order to hoard their record profits, try to strip away Medicare’s price negotiating power, which will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, through junk lawsuits. If these efforts succeed, companies like Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb, who already spent over $100 million to lobby against the initial passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, will continue raking in billions annually on drugs with no generic alternative while charging Americans four times more than other high-income countries. While 64 Democrats have co-sponsored legislation to expand Medicare’s price negotiation power for private insurance, Republicans continue to give into lobbying campaigns by the pharmaceutical industry, turning their backs on the American people by standing in opposition to any legislation reducing drug prices. 

Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act remains a top priority for Republicans in Congress. As recently as June of 2023, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a panel that represents 175 House Republicans, introduced a budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 that would privatize Medicare and fundamentally destroy Social Security. Within the proposal’s over $16 trillion in cuts to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, the RSC’s plan would repeal vital aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act like Medicare price negotiation power. The Republican party will continue to attempt to block life-saving programs, preventing Americans from getting quality and affordable health care.

Despite what they say publicly, slashing Medicare is a primary goal for elected Republicans. In 2023, Republicans came out in droves supporting cuts to Medicare. From the Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith floating potential Medicare cuts to Rep. Bruce Westerman supporting caps in Medicare spending, it is clear Republican leadership, despite what they may say publicly, are itching to cut spending to Medicare. Throughout recent negotiations to fund the government at the end of fiscal year 2023, Former Speaker McCarthy and Republicans advocated for a 2024 budget that would include over $58 billion more cuts to Medicare and Medicaid not agreed to during the equally fraught debt limit negotiations.

ashoup
In Fact Sheet, Research

FACT SHEET: 49 Million Seniors Will Save On Out-Of-Pocket Spending On Prescription Drugs

Seniors and hardworking families are paying too much for prescription drugs – more than any other country in the world – and it’s forcing them to choose between their medication and food for their families. But, that’s changing. 

Medicare plans for 2024 will include new benefits and lower costs for seniors because of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, including free vaccinations for illnesses like shingles and the flu, a $35 monthly cap on insulin costs, protections from outrageous price hikes, and a new annual cap of approximately $3,300 on out-of-pocket expenses for drugs.

Starting in 2025, Medicare beneficiaries will also see lower drug costs across the board thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s new $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap on drug costs. Soon, seniors will save even more thanks to Medicare negotiation.  

FAST FACTS:

  • 49 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries will have out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs capped at approximately $3,300 per year in 2024 and $2,000 per year beginning in 2025. More than 1.4 million Medicare enrollees paid more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs in 2020.
  • 3.5 million seniors struggle to afford their medication, forcing them to skip or ration doses.
  • In 2024, 400,000 low-income seniors will receive more help affording prescription drugs through the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Program.
  • In 2025, nearly 19 million Medicare enrollees will save an average of about $400 per year on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. Enrollees with the highest drug costs will save an average of $2,500 per year. 

Capping Out-Of-Pocket Spending For Seniors. Seniors with serious conditions like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis will save thousands of dollars on prescriptions under the Inflation Reduction Act. More than 1.4 million Medicare enrollees paid more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs in 2020. The Inflation Reduction Act also allows out-of-pocket spending to be smoothed over the course of the year beginning in 2025, so patients are not forced to pay the entirety of their out-of-pocket cost all at one time.

Helping Millions Of Seniors Who Can’t Afford Their Prescriptions. The Inflation Reduction Act will help 3.5 million older Americans who have trouble affording their medication. Over the decade from 2009 to 2019, out-of-pocket spending for older Amerians rose by 41 percent. Seniors often have to sacrifice basic needs such as food or clothing to be able to afford their prescriptions due to rising costs. 

Republicans Voted Against Lower Drug Prices For Millions of Americans. Every Republican in Congress voted against the Inflation Reduction Act effectively taking money out of the pockets of seniors and putting it in Big Pharma’s. Since its passage, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly introduced legislation to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s health care provisions, which would increase health care costs for millions. If the history of efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act is any indication, the Republican party will continue to attempt to block life-saving programs, preventing Americans from getting quality and affordable health care. 

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