New Jersey – On Tuesday, August 17, Protect Our Care’s “Care Force One” arrived in Burlington County, New Jersey to demonstrate the need for lowering New Jerseyans’ health care costs, expanding coverage, and reducing racial disparities in care. Headlined by New Jersey State Senator Troy Singleton, the event highlighted the importance of addressing the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs by giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.

Throughout the nationwide “Lower Cost, Better Care” bus tour, Protect Our Care is fighting to ensure critical health care measures supported by President Biden remain in the upcoming budget reconciliation legislation. These priorities include giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans, getting more Americans covered by closing the Medicaid gap, expanding Medicare benefits to include hearing, dental, and vision, and further reducing health care premiums for millions of Americans who purchase coverage on their own.

“I often say that paying for necessary prescription drugs has become a Hobson’s Choice in our state – with patients deciding to pay for medicine or go without so they can afford other expenses,” said Senator Troy Singleton, who represents 17 towns in Burlington County and has sponsored a number of prescription drug affordability measures. “In the richest nation in the world, and one of the wealthiest states in America, this is unacceptable and simply unconscionable. It is my hope that through the ‘Lower Cost, Better Care’ Bus Tour, our federal government will be able to deliver expanded healthcare coverage, lower healthcare and prescription drug costs, and reduce existing racial disparities in care.”

“As the pandemic has made painfully clear, the American healthcare system leaves far too many people either financially ruined or sick and dying unable to afford treatment. This is unsustainable and unacceptable,” said Laura Waddell, Health Care Organizer at NJ Citizen Action. “While Republicans prioritize Big Pharma profits over voters’ health, Democrats’ common sense reforms like Medicare drug price negotiations and full Medicaid expansion would save lives, lower prescription prices across the board, and meaningfully reduce costs for people of color, working families and seniors. The overwhelming majority of Americans support these policies, it’s time to get it done.”

“When I was fighting stage 4 cancer, I had to forego medication that would boost my immune system because the price tag was simply too high,” said Laura Packard, a cancer survivor and health care advocate who is crisscrossing the country on Care Force One this summer making the case for lowering prescription drug prices, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, and further reducing health costs for people purchasing coverage on their own. “I wound up in the hospital, and nearly died. Sadly, stories like these are all too common in our country. Patients should be able to focus on getting well, not struggling to pay for medications. That’s why we need Congress to act now to lower the cost of prescription drugs, including allowing Medicare to negotiate prices on behalf of all Americans.”

After New Jersey, “Care Force One” will head to Delaware. For more information, please visit protectourcare.org/bus-tour/.

The Protect Our Care “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour is making stops in:

Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Dover, Delaware on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Morgantown, West Virginia on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Youngstown, Ohio on Thursday, August 19, 2021
Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, August 19, 2021
Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, August 20, 2021
Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, August 20, 2021
Parkersburg, West Virginia on Monday, August 23, 2021
Charleston, West Virginia on Monday, August 23, 2021
Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Columbia, South Carolina on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Savannah, Georgia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Orlando, Florida on Thursday, August 26, 2021
Tampa, Florida on Thursday, August 26, 2021
Denver, Colorado on Monday, August 30, 2021
Flagstaff, Arizona on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday, September 1, 2021
San Diego, California on Thursday, September 2, 2021
Anaheim, California on Thursday, September 2, 2021
Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 3, 2021

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