Biden recalls his health scares and vows to keep cutting prescription drug costs

President Joe Biden outlined the difficulties Americans face regarding drug costs and touted his administration’s work to fix it, an issue the White House sees as a win-win for them if they address it going to the 2024 elections.

He was quick to contrast his actions with those of Republicans, slamming the GOP for trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act and cutting Social Security and Medicare.

And he joked that lower drug prices are a popular topic.

“It’s a lot more popular than me,” he said as the crowd giggled.

He spent much of the speech contrasting his ideas with Republican proposals and, as he often did, shared his own family’s struggles with healthcare costs when his son Beau was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2015.

President Joe Biden slapped Republicans during a speech in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he touted his administration’s work to lower drug prices

Biden was speaking at the University of Nevada on the last day of a three-day trip that also took him to California. The White House believes healthcare is an issue on which it can beat the GOP

“I and my family have been a significant consumer of healthcare,” he said, before praising the healthcare professionals.

“The doctors let you live. Nurses – male and female – make life fun.”

In February 1988, after recurring painful headaches, he had two life-threatening brain aneurysms. The then 45-year-old senator had to undergo emergency surgery.

He has often used his experience and how medical workers saved the lives of his two sons when his wife and daughter died in a traffic accident to empathize with Americans struggling with losses.

And he contrasted that with the extreme victory of the Republican Party.

“These MAGA Republicans — they’re different,” he said. “They are determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act.”

He also reiterated his previous accusation that entitlement programs were being cut. He pointed out to the crowd that during his State of the Union address, Republicans, who accused him of lying about their stance, vowed not to cut massive aid programs.

But he warned, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

His remarks painted a stark picture for the poor and the elderly if Republicans prevailed on health issues.

He warned that if Republicans were able to appeal the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans would be left without insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions.

This provision is one of the most popular of Obamacare, the nickname for the Affordable Care Act.

Biden is pushing for cheaper prescription drugs as he prepares for an expected bid for a second term in the White House.

“MAGA Republicans don’t think that’s a good idea,” the president said, accusing them of siding with the drug industry.

The President has already boasted about how his administration has lowered the cost of insulin for Americans.

The Democrats’ Anti-Inflation Act is expected to save taxpayers billions of dollars and reduce drug costs for the approximately 84 million Americans who depend on Medicare.

In addition to capping the price of insulin at $35, legislation allows the federal government to negotiate deals on a handful of pharmaceutical drugs for Medicare members.

Biden seeks to expand that authority in his budget proposal that he submitted to Congress. It is expected to fail in the Republican-controlled House.

But the president could turn it into a successful re-election.

Cheaper prescription drugs are seen as a hot topic among older voters who are also reliable at the ballot box.

In his remarks, Biden expressly warned of the consequences for older people.

“For seniors on a fixed income,” he said, “the constant question is whether they can pay for their medication.”

“It’s not just older people — it’s every family out there.”

The President, who is completing a three-day trip to the West Coast, was in a happy mood as he addressed the friendly crowd.

“Is there a doctor in the house,” he joked as he began his remarks.

And he pulled out one of his old jokes when he saw people above him watching his remarks from an upper level: “Don’t jump,” he told them.

He also commended healthcare workers for their work during the COVID pandemic. Several doctors and nurses were present for his remarks.

“Healthcare workers have put their lives on the line,” he remarked to great applause from the crowd.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk