During AARP Tele-Town Hall, Rep. Jones Highlights Health Care and Prescription Drug Savings

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Mondaire Jones (D-NY) hosted a community town hall with AARP New York to discuss recent victories on health care reform in the Inflation Reduction Act. The historic legislation, passed this summer, includes provisions to bring down high prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, cap insulin prices at $35 a month, and lower other out-of-pocket health care costs for millions of older Americans across the country.

“The Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant expansion of affordable health care this nation has seen in more than a decade,” said Rep. Jones. “I’m proud to have worked with fellow Democrats in Congress to stand up to the pharmaceutical companies and other special interests who have put the squeeze on American families just to pad corporate and investor profits. Sky-high drug prices set and controlled by Big Pharma have forced too many families to make tough decisions every day: choosing between paying the bills or putting food on the table or affording the prescriptions they need for their health. This bill tackles that head on – making health care more affordable for millions across the country.”

After more than a year of progressives leading negotiations for critical investments to help working families and the economy recover from the pandemic, Rep. Jones worked alongside Democrats in Congress to pass the Inflation Reduction Act in August. The bill takes on Big Pharma, lowers health care costs, creates millions of good-paying jobs, lowers energy expenses, and makes the largest-ever federal investment in tackling the growing climate crisis — while being paid for by making sure the biggest corporations and ultra-wealthy pay their fair share in taxes.

Specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act will:

• Save the average person in NY-17 $1,380 on health insurance premiums. The bill will lower the cost of health care for 13 million people across the country by extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits and expanding eligibility for financial assistance.

• Cap insulin prices at $35/month for an estimated 6,000 Medicare beneficiaries in NY-17.

• Save $38 million a year in total prescription drug costs in the district by allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and requiring drug companies to pay Medicare rebates if they raise prices faster than the rate of inflation.

• Cap annual out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs covered by Medicare Part D at $2,000 for an estimated 2,000 Medicare beneficiaries in NY-17, and nearly 1.4 million Medicare beneficiaries across the country.

About Mondaire: Mondaire Jones is the 35-year-old Congressman from New York’s 17th District, serving Westchester and Rockland Counties. He serves on the House Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Ethics Committees and is the first openly gay, Black member of Congress. He also serves as the youngest member of the Democratic House leadership team, Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Co-Chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus. A product of East Ramapo public schools, Mondaire was raised in Section 8 housing and on food stamps by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family. He later graduated from Stanford University, worked at the Department of Justice during the Obama Administration, and graduated from Harvard Law School. He is a co-founder of the nonprofit Rising Leaders, Inc. and has previously served on the NAACP’s National Board of Directors and on the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union.