Drug Pricing Town Hall with Seniors in Culver City
Published on October 22, 2024
On Friday, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra hosted a town hall at the Culver City Senior Center focused on the Biden Administration's work to lower prescription drug costs—a critical issue for seniors in our community. Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Secretary Becerra were also joined by local Culver City officials, including Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin and Councilmembers Freddy Puza and Albert Vera.
At the town hall, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Secretary Becerra participated in a question-and-answer session with seniors, providing a platform for seniors to engage directly with federal officials and gain insights into the Administration's efforts to make prescription medications more affordable.
“All too often, exorbitant prescription drug prices force seniors to decide between their health and paying for rent or groceries—this is unacceptable,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “In Congress, I’ve been proud to champion efforts to lower medication costs and ensure that our seniors reap all of the benefits provided to them through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. I want to thank Secretary Becerra and the Administration for their continued work to make healthcare more affordable for all Americans and for engaging with seniors in my community to ensure their voices are heard at the highest level of government.”
“It was great to have a chance to talk to Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove’s constituents and the seniors here in Culver City about some of the great accomplishments that the Biden Harris administration has been able to implement, including reducing the price of prescription medication, $35 insulin, and having out-of-pocket costs capped at $2,000,” said Secretary Xavier Becerra at the event. “Now we need to make sure people are aware of this new law and the benefits available for so many millions of Americans. Additionally, now through December 7, seniors eligible for Medicare have the chance to enroll or change their plans to make sure they’re getting the plan that works best for them.”
Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), prescription drug prices have dropped for Medicare enrollees. This legislation capped insulin costs at $35 per month for those enrolled in Medicare, made recommended vaccines free for Medicare recipients, and enabled Medicare to negotiate drug prices, among other historic actions to lower drug costs.
Medicare enrollees will continue to see their prescription drug costs decrease as more IRA provisions—including a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs—continue to go into effect. HHS projects that when this cap is enforced starting next year, nearly 19 million seniors and other Part D beneficiaries will save $400 per year on prescription drugs, and the 1.9 million Medicare enrollees with the highest drug costs will save an average of $2,500 per year. HHS estimates nearly 2 million Medicare Part D enrollees in California will save over $310 million in prescription drug costs in 2024 thanks to Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.