***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY, JULY 30 AT 1:00 PM ET // 10:00 AM PT***
PRESS CALL: U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, Alliance for Retired Americans, and Protect Our Care to Discuss How Reducing Drug Prices Would Help Expand Medicare Benefits to Include Dental, Vision, and Hearing
Protect Our Care to Mark 56th Medicare Anniversary With New Report on How the Robust Savings From Medicare Negotiation Could Be Reinvested in Improving Health Care For Millions
Washington, DC — On Friday, July 30 at 1:00 PM ET // 10:00 AM PT, U.S. Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA-08) and Jackie Boschok, President of the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans will join Protect Our Care for a virtual press conference to mark Medicare’s 56th anniversary and unveil a new report on how prescription drug pricing reform will generate robust savings that could be used to expand Medicare benefits to include dental, vision, and hearing. As it stands, millions of Medicare beneficiaries are currently without coverage in all three areas, profoundly impacting the health and well-being of seniors and people with disabilities.
The event is part of Protect Our Care’s Lower Rx Summer campaign, which consists of themed weeks of action to illustrate the urgent need for legislation to lower drug prices principally by giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans.
In the coming months, President Biden and members of Congress have an unprecedented opportunity to finally take action to lower drug prices. In 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3), historic legislation that would lower drug prices for all Americans. H.R. 3 would save patients over $150 billion and reduce the price of the costliest drugs by as much as 55 percent. Not only does giving Medicare the power to negotiate help patients at the pharmacy counter, but it would save the federal government $500 billion, which could be reinvested in strengthening Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits.
PRESS CALL:
WHO:
U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-WA-08)
Jackie Boschok, President of the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans
Brad Woodhouse, Executive Director of Protect Our Care
WHAT: Virtual Press Conference to Discuss How Reducing Drug Prices Would Help Expand Medicare Benefits to Include Dental, Vision, and Hearing
WHERE: Register for the Event Here
WHEN: Friday, July 30 at 1:00 PM ET // 10:00 AM PT