Secretary of Health and Human Services Discusses Reduced Prescription Costs During Michigan Visit

By Better Today On Mar 28, 2024

TL/DR –

Biden Administration officials visited Michigan to promote the Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to lower prescription drug costs for seniors. The act includes provisions to provide free vaccines, cap insulin costs at $35, and limit out-of-pocket expenditures on drugs to $2,000 by 2025. Secretary Xavier Becerra emphasized the importance of making seniors and Medicare recipients aware of the changes brought about by this legislation.

Biden Administration Highlights Inflation Reduction Act in Michigan

Secretary Xavier Becerra and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-06) Ann Arbor focused on the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act during their Michigan visit. They toured a senior center in Ann Arbor, discussing how the act is helping reduce common prescription drug costs for seniors.

Rep. Dingell emphasized her support for the act, stating its necessity due to many seniors struggling to afford essential drugs treating conditions like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.

Projections suggest the Inflation Reduction Act could save seniors and Medicare recipients at least $400 annually on prescription drugs. Besides free vaccines and a price cap on insulin at $35, the act will also limit all out-of-pocket drug costs to $2,000 by 2025.

According to Becerra, this package will allow his department to negotiate lower prices for ten of the costliest drugs in the Medicare scheme, with plans to extend negotiations to 50 of the most expensive drugs.

The Secretary further explained that the act will ease the burden of medication costs, eliminating the need for seniors to ration medication for longevity.

Michigan remains an area of interest for the Biden-Harris campaign, with the President and Energy Secretary making visits recently. Republican congressional candidate Tom Barrett suggests these visits reflect the President’s low polling in the state.

However, Becerra insists his visit aims to inform seniors and Medicare recipients about changes brought by the Inflation Reduction Act and how the Biden Administration is working to ensure affordability of essential medications.

He further expressed the importance of spreading the news fast, as these changes could save several Americans thousands of dollars.

His tour concluded at Farmington Hills where he, along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, discussed protective measures for reproductive rights.

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