President must live up to campaign promises, work with Congress to expand health care access and affordability
WASHINGTON — Ahead of President Biden’s release of his administration’s first federal budget proposal, Health Care for America Now Executive Director Margarida Jorge released the following statement:
“President Biden campaigned on bold health care reforms, including a public option to expand coverage and lowering drug prices through negotiations. With the American people continuing to name access to affordable health care as an urgent priority, it is disappointing to see these common-sense policies, which are popular across the political spectrum, excluded from the President’s budget proposal. While previous COVID-19 recovery packages like the American Rescue Plan have made welcome investments to strengthen coverage under the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans still lack access to the health care they need and a third of people with coverage still can’t afford the high price of prescription drugs – including millions of seniors with Medicare Part D coverage.
“Now is the time to make investments in access to quality, affordable health care that fundamentally underpin economic security and prosperity for the vast majority of people in America. We can definitely afford it.
“Billionaires increased their wealth by over $1 trillion during the pandemic, Fortune 500 corporations are still getting away with paying zero taxes and drug corporations continue to be the most profitable companies in America. Serious recovery from the pandemic cannot be accomplished without closing the Medicaid coverage gap, lowering drug prices, and ensuring access and affordability for everyone. In order to truly build back better, our leaders must put healthcare over wealthcare and enact policies that prioritize the health of working families by curbing profits and making the wealthiest pay their fair share. We call on President Biden to follow through on his commitments to expanding access to health care and work with Congress to implement these urgently needed reforms.”
###
