KENNETT SQUARE – Today, during National Nurses Week, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) welcomed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to LCH Health and Community Services of Kennett Square for a tour and listening session with nurses, staff, and administrators to talk about the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act. Passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act included a number of cost-saving provisions that are already helping Pennsylvanians save on their healthcare bills.

“It's more than just dollars and cents. It's about access. It's about making sure that every single person, regardless of income, has access to the care and medications they need to live a healthy life. With Medicare negotiating drug prices and the elimination of catastrophic cost-sharing, we're building a health care system that's stronger, more resilient, and more equitable for generations to come,” said Secretary Becerra.

“I am so grateful to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra for visiting our vibrant community today. His presence underscores the Biden Administration's unwavering commitment to prioritizing affordable healthcare for all. As we celebrate National Nurses Week, it's particularly timely to also acknowledge the critical role nurses play in our healthcare system and the importance of accessible medication for their patients. The Inflation Reduction Act creates invaluable savings on prescription drugs and out of pocket expenses for Medicare and Medicare enrollees alike. Additionally it saves American taxpayers billions. Together, we are making strides towards a healthier, more equitable future for every individual in our nation,” said Houlahan.

“We applaud the administration for addressing the high cost of healthcare and prescription drugs. LCH and health centers across the country have the same goals: to ensure people have access to high quality affordable healthcare and affordable prescription drugs. More than 50% of LCH patients are uninsured. Like health centers across the country LCH uses a sliding fees discount to make health care affordable for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Ronan W. Gannon, CEO LCH Health and Community Services.

LCH Health and Community Services is a federally qualified health center established in 1973. For more information about their mission and services, click here.

Background:

Thanks to President Biden’s lower cost prescription drug law, the Inflation Reduction Act, a month's supply of each Medicare-covered insulin product is capped at $35. Some enrollees now have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at about $3,500 in 2024, and in 2025, out-of-pocket costs will be capped at no more than $2,000. Furthermore, for the first time ever, the law allows Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for fair prices for prescription drugs – strengthening the program’s ability to serve people with Medicare now and for generations to come. HHS estimates about 80,000 Pennsylvanians will save over $174 million in prescription drug costs in 2024.

On May 3, 2024, HHS released new data showing over 10 million people with Medicare received a free vaccine because of the Inflation Reduction Act. In 2023, a total of approximately 3.9 million Medicare enrollees received a shingles vaccine, compared to about 2.7 million in 2021, an increase of over 42 percent. Nearly 1.5 million Medicare enrollees received a Tdap vaccine in 2023, compared to about 700,000 enrollees in 2021, an increase of over 112 percent. In addition, RSV vaccines are new and became recommended for adults 60 and older in consultation with their health care provider in June 2023. 6.5 million Medicare Part D enrollees accessed an RSV vaccine free of charge in 2023.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress.

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