Protect Our Care Announces 19-State Tour In August
Care Force One’s “Lower Cost, Better Care” Bus Tour Will Travel From Maine to California Advocating for Lower Drug Prices and Lower Premiums, Expanded Health Care Coverage and Benefits In the ACA, Medicaid and Medicare
Washington, D.C. — Throughout the August Congressional recess, Protect Our Care will be running its third nationwide bus tour to demonstrate the urgent need for lowering health costs, expanding coverage, and reducing racial disparities in care. Kicking off in Bangor, Maine, on August 9th, Care Force One’s “Lower Cost, Better Care” bus tour will travel throughout the Northeast before making stops across the Midwest and Southeast, and concluding with stops on the West Coast.
Care Force One will roll into key districts and states for events with Members of Congress, local elected officials, health care advocates and storytellers to ensure critical health care measures supported by President Biden remain in upcoming budget reconciliation legislation. Specifically, Protect Our Care is fighting to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans, create a federal solution to close the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare benefits to include vision, dental and hearing, and make permanent the premium reductions included in the American Rescue Plan so millions of people can continue to access low-cost coverage.
The tour will promote the work of President Biden and dozens of Democratic lawmakers who are leading the charge to advance American health care and hold Republicans accountable for continuing to reject measures to improve care and lower costs for the American people. Protect Our Care will ensure Americans know if their elected officials are working for the American people or if they are working to protect health care industry profits.
“While Members of Congress go home to their districts this August recess, they’re going to have a chance to show their constituents whether they stand by President Biden’s agenda to improve health care for millions or if they side with Big Pharma and other special interests,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Throughout this tour, Americans from all walks of life will speak out about the pressing need to lower prescription drug prices, close the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare benefits to include hearing, dental, and vision, and further reduce health costs for people purchasing coverage on their own. When Congress returns this fall, we have a once in a generation opportunity to transform health care for the American people, and Care Force One will crisscross the country this summer making the case for getting this critical job done.”
Protect Our Care’s Care Force One will make stops in:
Bangor, Maine on Monday, August 9, 2021
Portland, Maine on Monday, August 9, 2021
Burlington, Vermont on Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Manchester, New Hampshire on Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Concord, New Hampshire on Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Teaneck, New Jersey on Thursday, August 12, 2021
Allentown, Pennsylvania on Thursday, August 12, 2021
New York, New York on Friday, August 13, 2021
New Brunswick, New Jersey on Monday, August 16, 2021
Scranton, Pennsylvania on Monday, August 16, 2021
Burlington County, New Jersey on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Dover, Delaware on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Morgantown, West Virginia on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Youngstown, Ohio on Thursday, August 19, 2021
Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, August 19, 2021
Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, August 20, 2021
Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, August 20, 2021
Parkersburg, West Virginia on Monday, August 23, 2021
Charleston, West Virginia on Monday, August 23, 2021
Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Columbia, South Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Savannah, Georgia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Orlando, Florida on Thursday, August 26, 2021
Tampa, Florida on Thursday, August 26, 2021
Denver, Colorado on Monday, August 30, 2021
Flagstaff, Arizona on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday, September 1, 2021
San Diego, California on Thursday, September 2, 2021
Anaheim, California on Thursday, September 2, 2021
Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 3, 2021
By the Numbers: What Democratic Health Care Priorities Would Mean for Americans
- Lowering Prescription Drug Prices. 53 percent of American adults, or roughly 130 million people, take prescription drugs in the U.S. and stand to benefit from legislation to lower drug prices. Allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices would save patients $158 billion at the pharmacy counter. Nine in 10 Americans support legislation to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.
- Closing The Coverage Gap. More than 2 million Americans living in the 12 holdout states would have access to affordable, quality health coverage through Medicaid expansion. People of color make up 60 percent of those living in the health insurance coverage gap.
- Expanding Coverage. 4.2 million uninsured people would gain coverage if the American Rescue Plan’s subsidies are made permanent, and millions more would continue to save on health care costs.
- Expanding Medicare To Include Dental, Vision, and Hearing. Nearly 38 million traditional Medicare enrollees would gain dental, vision, and hearing coverage. Due to lack of coverage, nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries did not seek dental care in the past year, with people of color, individuals with low-incomes, and residents of rural areas experiencing the lowest access.