After casting the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, Vice President Kamala Harris is proposing to expand capping the cost of insulin at $35 and prescription drug costs at $2,000 for all Americans.
Thousands of Pennsylvanians are finding health care more accessible and affordable because of Biden-Harris legislation passed over the last three years. And the benefits continue to expand, as new provisions roll out in 2024 and 2025.
The IRA, passed over fierce opposition of congressional Republicans, delivers these benefits to the Keystone State:
- For 346,000 Pennsylvanians, lowers the cost of health care premiums by hundreds of dollars per year. For some middle-income older people, those savings jump to thousands of dollars per year;
- Makes COVID, shingles, and other recommended vaccines free for the 2.3+ million Pennsylvanians enrolled in Medicare Part D;
- Saves the 80,000+ Pennsylvanians who depend on insulin an average of $543 each per year, by capping out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month;
- Beginning in 2024, expands assistance with drug costs and insurance premiums for low-income Part D enrollees; and
- In 2025, reduces the cap of out-of-pocket drug costs from $3,500 to $2,000 per year.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021, also passed over Republican opposition, dramatically expands the number of people eligible for health care subsidies at all income levels, and it enhances support for those who have lost their jobs.
In 2021, Pennsylvania received approximately $120 million in ARP funding to help people pay for their health care premiums. The amount is adjusted each year; it has ranged from $115 million to $124 million since the program started.
In Pennsylvania, ARP funding has:
- expanded premium subsidies for low-income seniors;
- expanded eligibility and increased subsidies for low-income people;
- expanded home and community-based health care services, allowing seniors to get care closer to home and in some cases, remain in the homes; and
- increased funding for treatment of mental health and addiction disorders.
Both the IRA and ARP build on the Affordable Care Act—so-called Obamacare—which passed in 2010, when Biden was vice president.
At the beginning of this year, a record number 435,000 Pennsylvanians had obtained health care through the state-run insurance program, Pennie.
“The record high enrollment numbers are proof that the increased federal premium subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act are helping more Pennsylvania families than ever to enroll in coverage,” states the Pennie website. “Across Pennie customers, the increased subsidies reduce premiums by an additional 45 percent, compared to the baseline subsidies alone.”
“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the dignity of knowing they can go to the doctor or fill a prescription when they need it,” said Dr. Val Arkoosh, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Services. “And it is a huge accomplishment that more Pennsylvanians than ever have the peace of mind that comes with having coverage to keep themselves and their families healthy.”
To look for health care coverage for you and your family, and to see if you qualify for premium subsidies, see https://agency.pennie.com/.
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