U.S. Sen. Patty Murray visited the office of the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington (AAADSW) on Aug. 17 to take part in a roundtable discussion that focused on the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act on health care and Medicare prescription drug costs for Washington state residents.
AAADSW Executive Director Mike Reardon thanked Murray, D-Washington, for her support of the bill, as well as additional investments she helped secure through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the CARES Act.
“Lowering prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, a key provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, helps the Area Agency on Aging fulfill its mission of helping older adults who live in their own home as they age by capping out-of-pocket drug costs, allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, strengthening the systems for low-income beneficiaries, and limiting drug prices,” Reardon said. “Many of the clients served through this organization will have more of their own money put back in their own pocket so they can pay for basic living expenses such as rent, mortgage, gas (and) groceries.”
Murray said she has heard many stories of people who were impacted by prescription drugs.
“We know they are lifesaving for people. We are sharing them with family members, they’re using old ones, they’re using half of a prescription, and this is life-threatening, and it also just has an impact on their bottom line,” Murray said. “So to be able to pass the Inflation Reduction Act and actually make real changes that are coming soon and to give people some hope, to me, is just one of the best things we’ve been able to do this year.”
She noted the bill was “historic,” as it caps the amount people pay to Medicare out of pocket at $2,000 a year. It will also cap the out-of-pocket costs for insulin.
“It is stunning to me how much (insulin) has increased in cost. The drug hasn’t changed ever, but the increases in it have been so impactful, and we were able to pass a bill that will, starting next year, cap it at $35 for those on Medicare, seniors, and those with disabilities,” she said.
Cass Freedland, the chair of the Clark County Commission on Aging, said many communities are faced with barriers when it comes to health care access and “the ability to thrive.”
“The commission hears so many stories about aging adults increasingly facing financial insecurity because of rising housing and medical costs,” Freedland said, noting some people also have to consider long-term care and home care options.
She said rising prescription drug costs “greatly impact” the choices aging adults make when it comes to their retirement and savings.
“We’ve heard that we are at or past the tipping point in which difficult and life-altering choices must be made between housing, food, and pharmaceutical expenses,” Freedland said.
Lisa Bayautet, a citizen representative from the AAADSW, said she will personally be impacted by the passage of the bill because she is diagnosed with arthritis.
“I appreciate that you continue to strive for even more patient protections,” Bayautet said. “I know that many of your ideas were removed from the final negotiated package for the Inflation Reduction Act. We do see what happens. We are so proud of you in your fight.”
She said some of the provisions Murray attempted to negotiate into the bill included putting the Medicare annual part D premium increase at 4%, rather than the 6% that made the final bill. Murray also strived for 23% part D out-of-pocket costs, as opposed to the 26% limit, Bayautet said.
Bridgette Fahnbulleh, a former Vancouver NAACP president and retired Vancouver Housing Authority employee, said the bill will help people.
“Your job is to do two things for me: one is to make our lives better, and the other is to keep your promises,” Fahnbulleh said. “And with this Inflation Reduction Act, you’ve done both.”
Besides lowering the cost of drug prices, she also noted the Inflation Reduction Act addresses the issue of climate change.
“We can tell that global warming is happening in front of us, but this (bill) is going to put a lot of money into that and stopping that for our grandchildren, because I’m feeling a little better about leaving this world hopefully a better place for them than what we have currently,” she said.
Pat Cano, a League of United Latin American Citizens senior member and advisory council member for the AAADSW, emphasized the disparities in the health care industry that affect Hispanic communities. Cano said the new bill will lead to improvements.
“I did a little Googling, and among adults that are 65 and older, when we look at Latinos, that the disparities are huge,” Cano said. “Typically, we’re 1.5 times less or having trouble paying for our medication compared to our white beneficiaries, and that we’re two times more likely to not even buy prescriptions. We can’t afford it.”
She thanked Murray for her support of the bill.
“One big thing I want to do is say ‘help is on the way,’” Cano said.
She then shared stories of a number of Hispanic families she knows, including one woman who had to cook tamales to make ends meet. Through the new bill, Cano hopes it will allow that woman, and others, to keep more of their money in their pocket so they can afford the things they need.
