Johns Creek, GA — Today, Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA) joined Protect Our Care and local leaders for the Johns Creek stop of the “Lower Costs, Better Care” Tour celebrating historic progress in the Inflation Reduction Act passed earlier this year. Joining the event were State Senator Dr. Michelle Au, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Region 4 Director Antrell Tyson; Sara Cherry, a Medicare beneficiary reliant on insulin; and Liz Ernst of Protect Our Care Georgia.

“Health care costs have been far too high for far too long. The American people work hard and deserve access to quality, affordable care for their families. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, I know how harrowing it can be to receive difficult news from your own doctor and how important it is to have access to high-quality care. That is why we fought so hard in Congress and with President Biden to make a change and deliver a bill that helps the American people,” said McBath. “With the Inflation Reduction Act, we are putting the needs of our communities, our families, and our future generations first. We are giving power back to families in America. And we are protecting care so that when a loved one is sick, no parent or family has to choose between keeping the lights on or paying for life-saving medication.”

“As a legislator working in a hyperpartisan environment, I quickly learned that the pace of change we can expect to see, and the amount of good we can expect to do at any one time, is often incremental at best, and frustratingly slow at baseline. It is with this understanding that I say this ?the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act is transformative. It is transformative for my patients. It is transformative for the healthcare providers who care for them. And it is transformative for the state of Georgia,” said State Senator Dr. Michelle Au.

“Unlike what some may have heard in the Georgia senatorial debate, without insulin it would be a matter of months, weeks or possibly days before I would sink into a coma and die. It actually wouldn’t have mattered how I ate or what I ate… I was simply on a road to sure death,” said Sara Cherry, an Atlanta Medicare beneficiary with diabetes. “Diabetes has no political leanings. It doesn’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. The Inflation Reduction Act, although worked on and passed solely by Democrats, will benefit millions of Americans who might be struggling to afford proper healthcare. The IRA is nothing short of miraculous for so many Americans.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act will lower health care costs for the more than 63 million people across the country with Medicare coverage. And people covered under the Affordable Care Act Health Care Marketplaces save hundreds per year on their health insurance,” said Antrell Tyson, HHS Regional Director, Region 4. “HHS is ready to implement the law. We will meet deadlines, work collaboratively, and deliver on the tremendous responsibility and opportunity to implement critical reforms to lower drug prices for the American people.”

“The Affordable Care Act saved my life,” said Laura Packard, executive director of Health Care Voices. “Five years ago I walked into the doctor’s office with a nagging cough and walked out with a stage four cancer diagnosis — but I was lucky. I had good insurance through the ACA that paid for the chemotherapy and radiation that I needed. Now, the Inflation Reduction Act has made health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans like me. Through this landmark legislation, President Biden and Democrats in Congress capped premiums at 8.5 percent of our income and lowered prescription drug costs, paving the way for more affordable health care for years to come.”

Drug Prices in Georgia

• Georgians spend $13.8 billion on prescription drugs annually.
• Over 7 million Georgians experienced health care affordability burdens in the last twelve months.
• Around 38 percent of Georgians have stopped or skipped taking a medication due to cost and 55 percent are concerned about the rising price of drugs

Help Is On The Way - The Inflation Reduction Act By the Numbers

• 13 million Americans will save on their health insurance premiums starting in 2023, saving an average of $2,400 per family.
• 49 million Medicare beneficiaries will no longer face Big Pharma’s outrageous price hikes that outpace inflation beginning in 2023.
• $35 insulin copays for Medicare beneficiaries beginning in 2023.
• 49 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries will have out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs capped at $2,000 per year beginning in 2025. 
• 80 of the most expensive prescription drugs will have lower prices because of Medicare negotiations by 2030.