As Medicare Turns 59, We Still Need to Defend It

Before Medicare was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson 59 years ago today, nearly half of American seniors had no hospital insurance. Private insurance companies were reluctant to cover anyone over 65. Even fewer seniors had coverage for non-hospital services like doctor’s visits.  Many of the elderly were forced to exhaust their retirement savings to pay for medical care; some fell into poverty because of it. All of that changed with Medicare.

Our Debate Takeaway: Trump’s Lies Undermine Seniors’ Earned Benefits

As seniors’ advocates, it is not our job to parse Joe Biden’s debate performance. It’s our job to tell Americans in straight talk who is telling the truth about Social Security and Medicare — and who will protect them as president. In last night’s debate, Donald Trump repeatedly spread disinformation about seniors’ earned benefits, while President Biden’s statements were consistent with the truth — and with his record in office of defending both programs.

NCPSSM At White House for Release of First Ten Drugs for Medicare Price Negotiation

Tuesday was an historic day in the effort to lower prescription drug prices for seniors.  The Biden administration has released the names of the 10 life-saving drugs that will be subject --- for the first time ever --- to price negotiation between Medicare and Big Pharma.  They are some of the most common and most expensive prescription medications that seniors take.  These essential medications do everything from preventing blood clots and strokes to treating diabetes, and they will soon cost a lot less for the federal government and for patients.

NCPSSM Celebrates New Drug Pricing Law at White House with President Biden, Advocates

National Committee President Max Richtman and other advocates joined President Biden at the White House on Tuesday for a celebration of the new law reducing prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, the Inflation Reduction Act.  The event, held on the South Lawn, was attended by members of Congress, administration officials, and representatives of seniors’ groups including AARP, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and the seniors’ council of the Democratic National Committee.
2022-09-15T10:17:02-04:00September 14th, 2022|Categories: Congress, Democrats, Joe Biden, Max Richtman, Medicare, Prescription Drug Prices|

NCPSSM President and House Members Team-Up to Tout New Prescription Drug Pricing Measures

NCPSSM President and CEO Max Richtman joined two Pennsylvania congressmen in announcing that seniors will benefit from the just-enacted Inflation Reduction Act. Richtman appeared last week at Circle Pharmacy in Philadelphia with representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA) and Dwight Evans (D-PA).

House Passes Historic Prescription Drug Pricing Legislation

The U.S. House today passed historic legislation to bring down prescription drug prices for tens of millions of American seniors. The Inflation Reduction Act, which the Senate passed last weekend after intense negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, now goes to President Biden's desk for signature.  It is the most sweeping health care legislation since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
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