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 a single marked distinction from his earlier speeches, attendance within the Home 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 Safety, and the well being of the financial system to infrastructure and a potential assault weapons ban — in the course of the 73-minute speech. You possibly can learn their full protection right here.
All through the tackle, Biden highlighted bipartisan accomplishments and in addition talked again when GOP members heckled his claims. His warnings that some Republicans wish to section out Medicare and Social Safety 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 all of us apparently agree, Social Safety and Medicare [are] off the books now, proper?”
Biden additionally took victory laps, a few of which targeted on well being care initiatives. He talked concerning the financial savings to folks and to the federal authorities that will consequence from permitting Medicare to barter what it pays for prescription medicines. He cited laws he signed into legislation 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 folks signed up for well being protection this yr by way of the Inexpensive Care Act marketplaces. However his repeated chorus on such factors was: “Let’s end 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 instantly at Large Pharma. “We’re taking over highly effective 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 known as consideration to the tip of the general public well being emergency slated for Could 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’s a sampling of Biden’s well being care claims checked by PolitiFact:
“As a substitute of creating the rich pay their justifiable share, some Republicans need Medicare and Social Safety to sundown. I’m not saying it’s the bulk.”
Home and Senate Republican leaders say they don’t assist this, however at the least one senator has broadly floated the thought. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) launched a plan in 2022 that acknowledged “all federal laws sunsets in 5 years. If a legislation is value protecting, Congress can move it once more.” (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 Safety, which had been created generations in the past by way of federal laws. And his plan doesn’t have widespread assist inside his celebration; Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican chief within the Senate, in 2022 mentioned it might not be a part of the celebration’s agenda.
Some Home Republicans have left open the opportunity of altering the applications, together with elevating the eligibility age. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) recommended in August that Congress approve Social Safety and Medicare yearly quite than as an computerized entitlement. However Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy mentioned Jan. 29 throughout a CBS “Face the Nation” interview that cuts to Social Safety or Medicare are “off the desk.”
“We’re lastly giving Medicare the ability to barter drug costs.”
That’s a contact too broad. Though the Inflation Discount Act will enable Medicare for the primary time to barter prescription drug costs with producers, the availability is not going to take impact till 2026. The preliminary group of negotiable medication will likely be restricted to 10 that yr. Extra medication will likely be added to the negotiation checklist annually.
The Division of Well being and Human Providers is barred from negotiating on prescribed drugs within the Medicare program till they’ve been available on the market for a number of years.
KHN (Kaiser Well being Information) is a nationwide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being points. Along with Coverage Evaluation and Polling, KHN is among the three main working applications at KFF (Kaiser Household Basis). KFF is an endowed nonprofit group offering info on well being points to the nation.
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