Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is releasing 50 state-by-state fact sheets outlining how the Inflation Reduction Act reduces health care costs for women across the nation – with even more savings on the way as Medicare negotiates lower prescription drug costs. The new reports come as we recognize Women’s Health Week and highlight the work of the Biden-Harris administration to improve women’s access to health care by expanding coverage and reducing costs. The Biden-Harris administration is also working to improve care in the communities where it is most needed and end the maternal mortality crisis by expanding postpartum coverage and launching new public health initiatives.
“Millions of women across the nation will save on their prescription drug and health care costs because of the leadership of President Biden and Congressional Democrats,” said Protect Our Care Communications Director Anne Shoup. “The Inflation Reduction Act is providing families extra breathing room to keep food on the table and afford other necessities. While big drug companies and their Republican allies in Congress are doing everything in their power to decimate women’s health care, the Biden administration and congressional Democrats are committed to saving lives and helping women secure the care they need. ”
For example, here are the key numbers for Pennsylvania:
BY THE NUMBERS
1,557,014 of Pennsylvania women are on Medicare. They’ll also save in the following ways:
Nearly 733,000 U.S. Women Are Saving From The $35 Insulin Cap. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, out-of-pocket spending on insulin is now capped at $35 for a month’s supply for Medicare enrollees. Before this provision took effect, many seniors were forced to stop taking their medication or cut doses in half due to outrageous costs. Diabetics suffer severe effects, such as numbness in their feet and nerve damage in the eyes, when they stop taking doses as prescribed. On average, seniors with Medicare Part D or B who were not receiving subsidies paid an average of $572 every year for this life-saving medication — an unthinkable sum for many on fixed incomes. Patients who suffer chronic complications are expected to pay upwards of an additional $650 per year. The insulin cap provision in the Inflation Reduction Act will vastly improve the lives of millions of vulnerable insulin users, and it will save lives.
Over 5 Million Women on Medicare Received a Free Recommended Vaccine in 2023. The Inflation Reduction Act eliminated out-of-pocket costs for adult vaccinations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Covered vaccines include shingles, COVID-19, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and hepatitis A and B. In 2023, 10.3 million Medicare Part D enrollees received a vaccination saving enrollees more than $400 million in out-of-pocket costs. Out-of-pocket savings made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act allows vaccines to be more accessible for Medicare beneficiaries.
Pennsylvanians Will Save $477 Per Year On Out-Of-Pocket Drug Costs Thanks To A New $2,000 Out-Of-Pocket Cap. Seniors with serious conditions like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis could save thousands of dollars on prescriptions under the Inflation Reduction Act, which will help the more than 1.4 million Medicare enrollees who paid more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs in 2020. Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs will be capped at $2,000 per year beginning in 2025.
Medicare Negotiation Will Lower Drug Prices For More Than 4.5 Million Women. Medicare drug price negotiation, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, allows Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies for medications without generic or biosimilar options. The first ten drugs selected for negotiation were announced last year and price changes will begin in 2026. In 2022, over 4.5 million women on Medicare took at least one medication on this list and spent $1.55 billion in out-of-pocket costs on these drugs. Women disproportionately have prescriptions for Enbrel and Stelara which are both up for drug price negotiation and are used to treat autoimmune diseases, which are diagnosed in women four times more than men. 72 percent of Medicare enrollees who took Enbrel in 2022 were women and those not in the Medicare low-income subsidy program spent $1,929 per year on Enbrel in 2022. 59 percent of enrollees who took Stelara were women and those not on LIS spent $4,172 in 2022.
Women Benefit From Lowered Drug Costs Through The Low-Income Subsidy Program. Women receive low-income subsidies at a disproportionately higher rate than men. The gender wage gap, occupational segregation into low-paying jobs, lack of jobs with supportive work and child care policies, disabilities, and prevalence of domestic violence all contribute to lower incomes for women. Their out-of-pocket drug costs through Medicare Part D have decreased thanks to the expansion of low-income subsidy eligibility under the Inflation Reduction Act. Starting in 2024, the Inflation Reduction Act expanded low-income subsidies to individuals with incomes between 135 and 150 percent of the federal poverty line. People who meet these requirements benefit from no deductible, no premium, and low, fixed copayments for medications covered by Medicare Part D. Low-income subsidy program expansion is expected to reduce average annual out-of-pocket costs for affected individuals by $300. The poverty rate for women is 2.4 percent higher than the poverty rate for men.