Today, Senator Reverend Warnock spoke with seniors across Georgia in a telephone town hall facilitated by AARP-Georgia where he updated them on his plan to lower prescription drug costs for seniors which was recently signed into law

In August, the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included two major pieces of legislation that Senator Reverend Warnock introduced—his bill to cap insulin costs at $35 a month for patients on Medicare, and his plan to cap the cost of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year—that will lower health care costs for Georgians and save them money

According to KFF, over 50,000 Georgia seniors will directly save money from the insulin price cap; over 38,000 Georgia seniors will directly save money from the prescription drug price cap

Senator Reverend Warnock:  “I’m not in love with politics, I’m in love with change—and I’m beyond proud that this legislation will finally bring real relief into the lives of seniors”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke with Georgia seniors in a telephone town hall meeting hosted by AARP-Georgia, where he answered seniors’ questions about how they will benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act championed by the Senator and recently signed into law. The Senator also discussed provisions he successfully fought to secure in the bill that will save Georgians and seniors money on their health care and prescription drug costs.

“I’m not in love with politics, I’m in love with change—and I’m beyond proud that this legislation will finally bring real relief into the lives of seniors,” said Senator Reverend Warnock to thousands of Georgia seniors on today’s AARP town hall.  “So, I’m proud to have push this through the Washington gridlock, I’m proud that we passed this historic legislation that will tangibly improve the lives of millions of Georgia seniors. And know that as a member of the Senate Aging Committee, I look forward to overseeing the implementation of this law to ensure Georgia seniors quickly feel relief they so badly need. If you are having an issue with Medicare, Social Security, or any other federal agency, please know my office stands ready to help.”

In August, the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included two major pieces of legislation that Senator Warnock introduced—his bill to cap insulin costs at $35 a month for patients on Medicare, and his plan to cap the cost of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year. The bill also makes all vaccinations covered under Medicare Part D free for seniors. According to KFF, over 50,000 Georgia seniors will directly save money from the insulin price cap; over 38,000 Georgia seniors will directly save money from the prescription drug price cap.

See below for a transcript of Senator Reverend Warnock’s remarks: 

“Well thank you so very much, Debra. I really appreciate the important work you do every single day for our seniors and where in the world would be without AARP? Thank you for organizing this town hall. Thanks everybody for being on the call.

“Listen, I am thrilled and over the moon that we were finally able to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, a historic, once-in-a-generation investment in our country’s future. A piece of legislation that will lower costs for Georgia seniors and lessen the burden of insulin and prescription drug costs.

“After months and months of negotiating and coalition building, I’m especially proud that the legislation, which is now law, includes two provisions that I introduced with Georgians in mind. One will cap insulin costs for seniors on Medicare at $35 a month — again seniors on Medicare need their insulin and will have their costs capped at $35 of out of pocket costs a month. The other provision, or piece of legislation I have in this package will limit the costs of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year.

“So this legislation finally fulfills a long-sought Georgia priority: allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, to bring down costs for seniors, saving the government billions of dollars and saving you every single day. Every single month.

“This is key: Imagine if you were to go to buy a used car, and you’re not allowed to negotiate the price — that’s the situation Medicare was in and has been in until we passed this law. There was literally a law preventing Medicare from being able to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and I cannot imagine going to buy a used car, going to buy a house if the sellers tell me the price and I can’t negotiate, I can’t argue, I can’t push back — they tell me how much of my money they’re going to take — that was the situation of Medicare. They represented all of us, but that changed last month when we passed the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Lastly, this legislation makes all vaccinations covered under Medicare Part D free for seniors, something that is long overdue. This will affect 112,000 Georgia seniors who have to share the costs of vaccinations, which can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars. So imagine the vaccines you need for shingles; in this COVID-19 world, the vaccine for COVID-19, now all free for seniors who are covered under Medicare Part D. 

“I can tell you that as a pastor, I have made many pastoral visits over the years to seniors who are struggling with the consequences of unmanaged diabetes.

“I’ve been there with families as they have to deal with the news that they’ll need an amputation or their loved one will have to go on dialysis because of a kidney that’s gone bad; even blindness — all these things connect it to diabetes.

“There is no reason that seniors should be priced out of paying for insulin, a hundred-year-old drug whose patent was sold for $1.

“And that’s why I fought for months to ensure that the $35 cap was included for seniors, and it’s why I’ll continue to fight to extend the cap to Georgians who are on private insurance. We don’t have that part of it yet, but we’ll keep fighting. I think insulin should be reasonably priced for everybody.

“So if you’re a senior on Medicare Part D, your insulin will be capped at $35 a month and that’s starts in January — this January — 2023.

“Although, this legislation stretches  far beyond insulin, let me say I was just in Fayetteville, Georgia, where I heard from Ms. Gretchen Spring. She’s a senior who lives in Marietta. Shewas paying roughly $12,000 a year for prescription drugs after her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. $12,000 a year — seniors on a fixed income. So this legislation is designed with people like Gretchen Spring in mind.

“Let me say also that this is personal for me, I think of seniors like Gretchen, I think about my 84-year-old mother, I think about the seniors in my church, and I think about the seniors I talk with in every corner of the state, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. And I just don’t believe that it is right that our seniors should have to choose between buying the medicines they need and the groceries that they need. So I’ll keep pushing for this. 

“I’m in the Senate, but I’m very clear: I’m not in love with politics, I’m in love with change—and I’m beyond proud that this legislation will finally bring real relief into the lives of seniors.

“So, I’m proud to have push this through the Washington gridlock, I’m proud that we passed this historic legislation that will tangibly improve the lives of millions of Georgia seniors.

“And know that as a member of the Senate Aging Committee, I look forward to overseeing the implementation of this law to ensure Georgia seniors quickly feel relief they so badly need.

“If you are having an issue with Medicare, Social Security, or any other federal agency, please know my office stands ready to help. You can contact my office or visit Warnock Dot Senate Dot Gov.”

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