Harris highlights key tie-breaking vote over prescription drugs
Vice President Kamala Harris, who cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, called Tuesday's Health and Human Services report on cost-savings for prescription drugs evidence of the administration's mission to deliver accessible health care to everyone.
The report showed 1.5 million Medicare enrollees saved almost $1 billion on prescription drugs in the first half of 2024 as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act.
"All Americans should be able to access the health care they need -- no matter their income," Harris said in a statement.
The Inflation Reduction Act for the first time put a cap on what Medicare enrollees spend on out-of-pocket costs for their medications and a lower cap that goes into effect next year ($2,000) and is estimated to impact 19 million people.
The administration estimated that this year's cap saved impacted Medicare enrollees an average of $1,802, and that when the cap lowers further, the savings will be higher.
Harris highlighted the combination of other efforts the administration is also making to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, like capping insulin at $35 and negotiating on contracts with pharma companies so the government pays less for drugs.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett