President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders joined forces at a White House event to promote efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, including inhalers. Sanders, a progressive leader in Congress, has long advocated for universal healthcare through Medicare for All, while Biden has taken a more moderate approach by supporting the Affordable Care Act. Biden credited Sanders with laying the groundwork for his administration’s health care policies, emphasizing their shared history of fighting against high drug prices.
Both Biden and Sanders criticized pharmaceutical companies for the high prices Americans pay for drugs and have taken steps to address this issue. Biden praised Sanders for his longtime efforts in advocating for affordable healthcare and stated that their administration has made significant progress in taking on Big Pharma. In particular, Biden called for increasing the number of drugs that Medicare can negotiate to lower prices and targeted former President Donald Trump for increasing the deficit and threatening to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
During the event, both Biden and Sanders called out congressional Republicans for voting against legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and cap monthly expenses for insulin and annual out-of-pocket costs. Biden highlighted the contrasts between his administration’s healthcare policies and those of his predecessor, as well as the differences in approach between Democrats and Republicans on healthcare issues. The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama, remains popular among Americans, despite ongoing efforts to dismantle it.
Sanders, as the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, led an investigation into the high prices charged by major inhaler manufacturers. He credited Biden and congressional Democrats for taking steps to reduce medication costs and emphasized the need to tackle the greed of the pharmaceutical industry to lower healthcare costs in the country. The list prices for inhalers can range from $200 to $600, despite costing less than $5 to produce, prompting actions from manufacturers to cap costs at $35 for patients with private insurance.
The Federal Trade Commission challenged over 100 patents held by manufacturers of brand-name asthma inhalers and other drugs in response to concerns about inaccurate or improper listings in the FDA’s “Orange Book.” This move aimed to address barriers to generic competition and improve access to affordable medications for consumers. Biden and Sanders’ collaboration on lowering prescription drug costs represents a united effort within the Democratic Party to address healthcare affordability issues and promote policies that benefit Americans. Their event highlighted the progress made in taking on the pharmaceutical industry and working towards affordable healthcare for all.
