Over the last two weeks, Protect Our Care hosted events and published opinion pieces across the nation with national lawmakers and health care advocates to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation that will lower prescription drug costs and health insurance premiums for millions of Americans. These measures will deliver long-overdue relief to working families and seniors, and it will address the deep racial inequities in our health care system. Last month, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, overcoming unified Republican opposition and record lobbying from Big Pharma and other special interests to finally put people over profits. More information on The Inflation Reduction Act can be found here.
HEADLINES
(GA) Georgia Public Broadcasting: Georgia’s Budget Is a ‘Snapshot of Our Morals and Values,’ Advocates of Medicaid Expansion Say. August 28, 2022 marks a full decade since Georgia’s first refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. “We can and we must use the unprecedented resources at our disposal to fully expand Medicaid and get access to life-saving care for hundreds of thousands of veterans, working parents, frontline workers, and other fellow Georgians,” said Leah Chan, Senior Health Policy Analyst with Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. [GPB News, 8/28/22]
(MI) WNEM: Genesee Health Plan Highlights Savings From Inflation Reduction Act. A Michigan retiree who cares for her disabled daughter and a health care advocate today joined Congressman Dan Kildee of Flint to raise awareness about the health care benefits and savings for ordinary Michiganders from the Inflation Reduction Act. ‘Access to lifesaving care should not cost Michigan families and seniors their life savings. For decades, Big Pharma stood in the way of any progress to lower prescription drug prices. But with the Inflation Reduction Act, we took on the drug companies and won. Medicare will be able to negotiate lower drug prices, we cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors at $2,000 a year, and the price of insulin for seniors is capped at $35 a month. This legislation will have a real impact to lower costs for Michigan families and seniors,’” said Congressman Kildee. [WNEM, 8/23/22]
(WV) WKKX Radio Interview with Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach sat for a live interview with Rocky Fitzsimmons from the Legislative Watchdogs program on WKKX Radio to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation that will lower prescription drug costs and health insurance premiums for millions of Americans.” [WKKX, 8/24/22]
(WI) Wisconsin Examiner: Advocates Unpack the Details in New Climate, Health and Tax Law. “This legislation extends for another three years higher subsidies for people who buy health insurance through the federal exchange created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). More than 187,000 Wisconsin residents will save money as a result, according to Protect Our Care, an ACA advocacy group.” [Wisconsin Examiner, 8/31/22]
(WI) Channel 3000: Local Leaders Tout Impact of Inflation Reduction Act on Drug Prices “State Sen. Melissa Agard and Fitchburg Mayor Aaron Richardson on Tuesday touted the impacts the Inflation Reduction Act is expected to have on health care. Representatives from a number of groups, including Opportunity Wisconsin, Family Friendly Wisconsin, For Our Future Wisconsin and Protect Our Care Wisconsin, took part in Tuesday’s news conference.” [Channel 3000, 8/30/22]
OPINION PIECES
(CO) Colorado Politics Op-Ed on the Inflation Reduction Act by Gail Devore, Colorado Resident With 1 Diabetes for More Than 50 Years. “Thanks to this legislation, families will save thousands on their health care premiums. Last year, many of us who buy insurance on our own noticed our health care premiums went down after Democrats in Congress passed legislation guaranteeing coverage that costs less than 8.5% of income. These tax credits in the American Rescue Plan allowed millions of enrollees to find a quality plan for $10 or less per month and saved families an average of $2,400 a year on our insurance premiums.” [Colorado Politics, 8/26/22]
(MN) MinnPost Op-Ed on the Inflation Reduction Act by Congresswoman Craig and Congressman Phillips. “We promised to help because our constituents urgently needed change, and this summer, when we passed the Inflation Reduction Act, we delivered on that promise. At the end of the day, this isn’t a partisan issue – it’s just common sense: every American should be able to access and afford the medication they need to live.” [MinnPost, 9/1/22]
(NH) Concord Monitor Letter to the Editor on the Inflation Reduction Act by POC NH State Director Jayme Simoes. “The legislation also includes measures that will lower health care premiums for millions by extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) financial assistance for three years. Sadly, Republicans in Congress blocked a critical provision that would cap insulin costs at $35 per month for millions of diabetics with insurance. As many as one in four of the 7.5 million Americans dependent on insulin are skipping or skimping on doses, which can lead to death. The contrast is clear. Between fighting to lower health care costs and expanding affordable coverage to working families, our congressional delegation is working tirelessly to lower everyday costs for all Americans,” writes Simoes. [Concord Monitor, 8/21/22]
(NH) New Hampshire Union Leader Op-Ed on the Inflation Reduction Act by Granite Stater Gene Faltus: “Protect Our Care New Hampshire placed an opinion piece written by Granite Stater Gene Faltus in the New Hampshire Union Leader highlighting how the prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act will benefit seniors in New Hampshire. ‘I can’t overstate how much this legislation will help me. With more than two dozen prescriptions to treat the cancer, multiple cardiac conditions, non-insulin dependent diabetes, and temporal arteritis, I end up paying around $5,000 out of pocket halfway through the year. After I leave the doughnut hole, I enter catastrophic coverage and pay 5% of my prescription costs until the end of the year. Prescription costs rise every year, but this year I expect my out-of-pocket costs to exceed $7,000. The Inflation Reduction Act will change my life, and the lives of millions of Americans like me, who rely on expensive medications to stay alive.’” [New Hampshire Union Leader, 8/21/22]