President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders joined forces to promote efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, including inhalers, during a White House event. Biden credited Sanders for his role in shaping the administration’s health care policies, citing Sanders’ advocacy for “Medicare for all” during the 2020 Democratic primary as influential in the current debate on health care reform. Despite being on opposite ends of the health care debate during the primary, Biden acknowledged Sanders’ leadership in addressing the issue.
Biden highlighted the administration’s efforts to take on Big Pharma and lower drug prices, emphasizing the importance of Sanders’ long-standing advocacy in pushing for significant changes in the health care system. Biden called for expanding Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices and took a jab at former President Trump for increasing the deficit and attempting to undermine the Affordable Care Act. Trump had expressed intentions to dismantle the ACA if re-elected, despite its popularity among the general public.
Sanders, as the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, led an investigation into the high prices of inhalers charged by major manufacturers. The list prices of inhalers range from $200 to $600, compared to the low production cost of less than $5. Three of the largest inhaler manufacturers recently announced to cap the monthly costs at $35 for patients with private insurance, though this does not apply to those with public coverage. The Federal Trade Commission has also challenged patents held by manufacturers for inaccuracies listed in the FDA’s Orange Book.
The event served as a platform for Biden to showcase the cost-saving measures Democrats have enacted, as he aims to convince voters that his policies are benefiting them. Biden emphasized the importance of working together to combat the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the United States. Sanders echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that lowering drug costs would ultimately lead to a reduction in overall health care expenses in the country, which currently exceed those of other major nations.
The event underscored the administration’s commitment to addressing the issue of high drug prices and making health care more affordable for Americans. Biden and Sanders’ collaboration on this initiative highlighted a unified effort to tackle the challenges posed by the pharmaceutical industry and advocate for accessible and affordable health care. By focusing on specific measures such as negotiating drug prices and challenging patents, the administration aims to bring about tangible changes that benefit the American people in terms of lower health care costs.
