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In Tacoma, Senator Murray Talks New $35 Insulin Cap for Seniors, Continues Push to Cap Insulin and Lower Costs for All Patients

***PHOTOS OF THE ROUNDTABLE HERE***

***VIDEO OF THE ROUNDTABLE HERE***

ICYMI: Senator Murray Helps Pass Historic Bill to Lower Prescription Drug and Health Care Costs; Tackle Climate Crisis, Build Stronger Clean Energy Economy – MORE HERE 

Senator Murray: “This law is going to be life changing—and lifesaving—for so many seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare.”

(Tacoma, WA) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted a roundtable to discuss what some of the historic drug pricing provisions she helped secure in the Inflation Reduction Act—many of which took effect on January 1—mean for seniors. Senator Murray highlighted how the legislation is already starting to make a real difference in people’s lives: seniors on Medicare now benefit from a $35/month insulin cap and can get their routine vaccinations at no cost whatsoever, Medicare will soon kick off the process to finally negotiate lower prescription drug costs—something Senator Murray’s fought for years to get done—and drug makers now have to pay Medicare if they jack up prices on certain drugs beyond the rate of inflation.

Senator Murray spoke with advocates from AARP, providers, and patients from MultiCare about what these changes mean and what more needs to be done—and reiterated she will not stop fighting to lower costs for all patients, including by capping the cost of insulin for everyone. She was joined at the roundtable by: Cathy MacCaul, Advocacy Director of AARP Washington; Jeff Poltawsky, President, Mary Bridge Children’s Health Network; Barbara Thompson, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Mary Bridge Children’s Health Network and a Pediatric Endocrinologist; Astria Tenborg, RN and her Type1 Diabetic daughter Kaija; and Dr. Michael Shannon, Geriatrician and Chief Medical Officer for Multicare Connected Care.

“I’ve heard countless heartbreaking stories and concerns from Washington state advocates: insulin affordability is at an all-time low and it is costing us the lives of loved ones,” said Senator Murray. “People need to know that the Inflation Reduction Act we passed last summer delivers historic action on drug costs. It is lowering health care costs for 13 million Americans—including more than 100,000 people in Washington state—capping the cost of insulin for seniors, finally empowering Medicare to force big pharmaceutical companies to the negotiating table, and much more. This law is going to be lifechanging—and lifesaving—for so many seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare. But there is more to do to lower prescription drug costs for everyone, including capping the cost of insulin for all patients, and I won’t stop fighting until we get it done.”

“Older Washingtonians should not have to decide between life-saving medications or paying for other necessities, such as rent or food. These historic improvements to Medicare will finally bring down drug prices for Washington seniors,” said Cathy MacCaul, AARP Washington Advocacy Director.  “AARP applauds courageous elected officials like Senator Murray for standing with seniors, demanding change, and making it happen with the help of voices like those of our nearly 900,000 members in Washington state.”

“At Mary Bridge Children’s, we care for pediatric patients from communities across the Pacific Northwest region,” said Jeff Poltawsky, president and market leader, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network. “We see firsthand the struggles so many families face when trying to juggle the costs of providing life-saving medicine to their child with diabetes along with all the other financial burdens they are managing. We so appreciate Senator Murray’s continued dedication to finding solutions to the high costs of insulin and other medicines kids — and adults — need in order to live healthy lives.”

“Patients with Type 1 diabetes have a life-long diagnosis and are insulin dependent for the rest of their lives,” said Barbara Thompson, MD,  pediatric endocrinologist and chief medical officer for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network. “Middle-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid, but also can’t afford to purchase premium insurance coverage, have no choice but to pay a substantial out-of-pocket price to keep their children alive—prices that are constantly on the rise, and have been impacted even more by skyrocketing inflation.”

“The cost of insulin and diabetes medications is a significant barrier to care,” said Michael Shannon, MD, endocrinologist and chief medical officer for population health for MultiCare’s accountable care organization, MultiCare Connected Care. “Continuing to find solutions that reduce insulin costs for patients will greatly enhance our ability to serve patients with diabetes, mitigate their costs, and enhance their health and lifespan.”

Senator Murray has long pushed to lower health care costs for patients—and helped lead Senate Democrats in passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) last August, which included historic prescription drug provisions. As the Senate debated the legislation, Senator Murray also pushed hard to extend the legislation’s $35/month insulin cap to patients on private insurance, imploring her colleagues not to strip the critical provision out of the package: “We have an opportunity to make a difference and permanently cap insulin… This should not be a hard vote to cast.” While all Senate Democrats voted to cap insulin for all patients at $35 a month, the vast majority of Senate Republicans voted to strip the cap out of the final package.

At today’s roundtable, Senator Murray discussed how the IRA will soon cap Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs at $2,000 a year, is capping their insulin costs at $35 a month, and has capped price increases on their prescriptions at the rate of inflation so that drug makers cannot jack up prices to pad their own profits—helping Washington state’s more than 1.4 million Medicare recipients save money on their prescriptions.

You can find more on the Inflation Reduction Act HERE, and read about the implementation timeline for the law’s drug pricing provisions HERE.

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