President Joe Biden on Tuesday delivered his State of the Union tackle to a politically divided Congress for the primary time, calling for everlasting fixes on coverage priorities like unaffordable well being prices.
In one marked distinction from his earlier speeches, attendance within the House chamber was at capability with no covid-19 limitations in impact. And the lawmakers within the viewers, each supporters and opponents, gave the impression to be in a raucous temper.
Our companions at PolitiFact fact-checked quite a lot of Biden’s statements — starting from Medicare, Social Security, and the well being of the economic system to infrastructure and a potential assault weapons ban — throughout the 73-minute speech. You can learn their full protection right here.
Throughout the tackle, Biden highlighted bipartisan accomplishments and likewise talked again when GOP members heckled his claims. His warnings that some Republicans wish to section out Medicare and Social Security riled conservatives, together with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who replied from the again row by shouting “Liar!” as others booed. Biden responded, smiling: “As we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare [are] off the books now, right?”
Biden additionally took victory laps, a few of which centered on well being care initiatives. He talked concerning the financial savings to individuals and to the federal authorities that will outcome from permitting Medicare to barter what it pays for prescription medicines. He cited laws he signed into regulation that, beginning this yr, would cap insulin prices for Medicare beneficiaries and, beginning in 2025, would cap out-of-pocket drug prices for seniors. He additionally famous that 16 million individuals signed up for well being protection this yr via the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. But his repeated chorus on such factors was: “Let’s finish the job.”
He devoted an estimated 4 minutes to his efforts to carry down well being care prices — specifically prescription drug costs — and pointed a finger immediately at Big Pharma. “We are taking on powerful infrastructure,” he mentioned.
Biden additionally famous how a lot the state of the union has modified for the reason that early days of covid. He referred to as consideration to the top of the general public well being emergency slated for May 11, however reminded the viewers — each within the chamber, the place Sen. Bernie Sanders was among the many few members seen carrying a face masks, and at dwelling — that there’s a persevering with want to observe the coronavirus and to fund the event of recent remedies and vaccines.
Here is a sampling of Biden’s well being care claims checked by PolitiFact:
“Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I’m not saying it’s the majority.”
House and Senate Republican leaders say they don’t assist this, however not less than one senator has broadly floated the thought. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) launched a plan in 2022 that said “all federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.” (Scott’s plan is a coverage doc that he’s selling once more for his 2024 reelection.)
Scott’s proposal doesn’t particularly name for a phase-out of Medicare and Social Security, which had been created generations in the past via federal laws. And his plan doesn’t have widespread assist inside his get together; Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican chief within the Senate, in 2022 mentioned it will not be a part of the get together’s agenda.
Some House Republicans have left open the potential for altering the applications, together with elevating the eligibility age. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) instructed in August that Congress approve Social Security and Medicare yearly somewhat than as an automated entitlement. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy mentioned Jan. 29 throughout a CBS “Face the Nation” interview that cuts to Social Security or Medicare are “off the table.”
“We’re finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices.”
That’s a contact too broad. Although the Inflation Reduction Act will enable Medicare for the primary time to negotiate prescription drug costs with producers, the supply is not going to take impact till 2026. The preliminary group of negotiable medication can be restricted to 10 that yr. More medication can be added to the negotiation record every year.
The Department of Health and Human Services is barred from negotiating on pharmaceuticals within the Medicare program till they’ve been available on the market for a number of years.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nationwide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being points. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is without doubt one of the three main working applications at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit group offering info on well being points to the nation.
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