Here's a look at Biden's record for Medicare and Medicaid expansion, lowering drug prices, and abortion access ahead of his State of the Union address
In his State of the Union address, Biden is expected to tout his accomplishments for Medicare and Medicaid expansion, lower drug prices, and reproductive healthcare access.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
- President Joe Biden is expected to tout his healthcare policy wins in his State of the Union address.
- Medicare expansion, lower drug prices, and reproductive healthcare access are some of the main issues.
- For voters, these are important issues and policies for the presidential election.
President Joe Biden is hoping to win voters with his healthcare record and promises for future change should he be reelected.
Eighty percent of voters — regardless of party affiliation — said that presidential candidates should discuss their healthcare plan on the campaign trail, per a poll published on February 21 by KFF (formerly known as Kaiser Family Foundation). Additionally, most Americans rank medical costs as one of their top financial worries.
"I'm proud of the historic laws my administration has passed," Biden said in a July speech about healthcare access. "They are the right steps not only to get our economy moving again, but to build a future better than the past."
In his State of the Union address, Biden is expected to tout his accomplishments for Medicare and Medicaid expansion, lower drug prices, and reproductive healthcare access. For voters, these are important issues and policies for the presidential election.
Ninety-one percent of voters support lowering prescription drug costs, and 89% of voters support protecting Medicare funding, according to the nonprofit and nonpartisan Progressive Change Institute. Still, under 30% of those voters say the are aware of any action Biden has taken on those issues.
One in eight voters also said abortion is the most important issue they are thinking about in 2024, per KFF data.
Ahead of Biden's State of the Union address, here's a look at what he's done for Medicare and Medicaid expansion, lower drug prices, and reproductive healthcare access.
Expanded healthcare access for veterans and older adults
During his presidency, Biden has worked to expand healthcare coverage for people on federal assistance programs:
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act expanded benefits for individuals on Medicare, capping out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 for millions of beneficiaries.
Millions more veterans who were exposed to toxins or other hazards while in training or active service became eligible for healthcare coverage on March 5 of this year. This latest expansion follows the 2022 PACT Act that extended healthcare to service members exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.
Biden has built on the Affordable Care Act, a law passed in 2010 under former President Barack Obama. Federal ACA expansions led to lower out-of-pocket medical costs for people on Medicaid, but most coverage varies by state.
Lower prices for some prescription drugs
The Biden Administration has negotiated with pharmaceutical companies to lower the price of 10 major prescription drugs:
The Inflation Reduction Act placed a $35 monthly cap on insulin and has since been adopted by most insulin manufacturers, but the cost of other medical supplies for diabetics remains high.
The White House announced on March 4 that the price of 10 drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations could be lowered this year — including medicine for heart failure, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.
Action on reproductive healthcare
Biden has said he will restore Roe v. Wade abortion protections as some Republican lawmakers support state and federal abortion bans.
Biden has said he will veto a federal abortion ban, however, he has received criticism from some Democrats and activists for not supporting abortion in the past, and not taking more drastic action to protect reproductive healthcare access during his time in office.
The fate of medication abortion is in the hands of the US Supreme Court, but Biden has urged the court to protect access. Mifepristone, a pill that's part of the process for a medication abortion, was just certified by the FDA to be dispensed at major retailers.