In their first joint event since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee after he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, Harris and Biden visited Prince George’s County Community College in Largo, Maryland on Thursday, where they discussed the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement of new, lower prices for the first ten drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation.
“When Medicare drug price negotiations for 10 popular medications take effect in 2026, the White House predicts $6 billion savings for taxpayers and $1.5 billion savings in out-of-pocket costs for enrollees in Medicare’s drug program in that year alone,” the Deseret News reported. “The 10 drugs included in the first round of price negotiations are among the most expensive and most prescribed, costing the program $50 billion a year.”
In many ways, the event’s atmosphere resembled that of a campaign rally, with cheers, chants and applause coming from the crowd as both Harris and Biden spoke. Here were some of the key moments:
- Biden and Harris praised the Inflation Reduction Act, which the president signed into law in 2022, with Harris casting the tie breaking vote in favor of the act. Thanks to the act, “Medicare can use that power to go toe to toe with big Pharma and negotiate lower drug prices,” Harris said. Republicans have said the legislation contributed to high inflation.
- The event began with Judy Aiken, a 70-year-old retired registered nurse from Portland, Maine, who spoke about her struggles to afford her medications — including Enbrel, one of the drugs up for price negotiation — for her psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. “Last year alone, I spent over $9,000 out of pocket just to afford this one drug,” Aiken said. “As a nurse, I counseled patients on the importance of taking their medications consistently, but I have to admit that sometimes I found myself unable to follow my own advice.”
- Harris thanked Biden for expanding access to affordable healthcare, prompting repeated “thank you Joe!” chants from the crowd.
- Biden endorsed Harris, saying “she’s going to make one hell of a president.”
“We believe deeply every senior in our nation should be able to live with security, stability and dignity ... In the United States of America, no senior should have to choose between either filling their prescription or paying their rent,” Harris said.
The vice president continued, saying that for many years, seniors have struggled to afford their medications, leading some to wonder how they’re going to pay for life-saving medicines like insulin, or being forced to ration their prescriptions.
“Kamala and I both get it,” Biden said. “We know it isn’t just about health care — it’s about your dignity,” Biden said.
The lower drug prices will reportedly help more than 65 million Americans who are 65 years or older or have disabilities and utilize Medicare. But “although the White House is touting the savings for prescription drugs, seniors weren’t paying full price for such drugs before the negotiations and the negotiations won’t affect Americans who aren’t on Medicare,” CBS News reported.
Next up, both Harris and former President Donald Trump will both head to Pennsylvania this weekend for campaign rallies.