From Birth to Retirement, the Biden-Harris Administration Has Lowered Costs and Increased Coverage
Since the start, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to making health care a right, not a privilege, and ensuring people across the nation have the same quality health care no matter where they live or the color of their skin — throughout their entire lives. Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, more people have health insurance coverage than ever before. Whether it’s lowering the cost of drugs, capping the monthly cost of insulin, or ensuring millions of Americans have access to affordable health insurance, this administration has fought for everyday Americans and won.
Meanwhile, Republicans are continuing a war on our health care system by trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Inflation Reduction Act, cut funding from critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and ban Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices. The MAGA Republican Project 2025, a dangerous policy roadmap for another Trump presidency, calls for full repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions that are saving Americans thousands of dollars on health care. In addition, big drug companies and their Republican allies are in court trying to ban Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices. They are determined to decimate our health care, leaving millions behind without coverage.
Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris administration has made advancements in health care for all stages of life:
- Birth:
- Launched a government-wide strategy for preventing maternal deaths and improving birth outcomes through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.
- Signed legislation giving states the option to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year. Currently, 47 states including DC have elected to extend Medicaid coverage for a full year postpartum.
- Established the first National Maternal Mental Health Hotline to provide emotional support, resources, and referrals to pregnant and postpartum women and their loved ones.
- Invested $105 million in funding to support more than 100 community-based organizations working to improve maternal and infant health.
- Childhood:
- Signed legislation to guarantee 12-month continuous coverage for children on Medicaid and CHIP once they are enrolled, ensuring millions of families have reliable, affordable health coverage.
- Fixed the “family glitch,” which blocked millions of families, primarily women and children, from accessing affordable coverage from the ACA. The fix will expand coverage and lower health care costs for more than one million Americans.
- Simplified how millions of Americans, including children, apply for and renew coverage through Medicaid, CHIP, and the Basic Health Program (BHP). The rule also applies new consumer protections from the ACA to Medicaid and CHIP enrollees, like banning lifetime limits and waiting periods.
- Adult:
- Lowered health insurance costs for people buying coverage on their own through enhanced premium tax credits, making coverage affordable for more people than ever.
- Protected consumers and limited short-term junk plans that do not need to cover pre-existing conditions, which often use deceptive marketing practices and leave American families with staggering medical bills.
- Protected Americans from surprise medical bills from emergency room visits, non-emergency out-of-network visits at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services for out-of-network providers.
- Senior:
- Capped insulin prices at no more than $35 monthly for all Medicare beneficiaries beginning in January 2023 — saving seniors up to $1,500 annually.
- Limited annual out-of-pocket spending to $2,000 starting in 2025, giving over 46.6 million Americans with Medicare Part D more reassurance and financial stability.
- Gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, which will save taxpayers billions of dollars and lower costs for some of the most popular and expensive prescription drugs.
- Provided free vaccines, such as shingles and Tdap, at no cost starting in 2023.
- Required drug companies to pay Medicare a rebate when they hike prices faster than the rate of inflation. This will not only save the government billions of dollars, but it will drastically reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors and people with disabilities.