Dear friend,

Welcome to my October wrap-up newsletter. Last week, after 22 days of infighting on the other side of the aisle that brought voting in Congress to a halt, House conservatives have finally chosen their new Speaker of the House — Rep. Mike Johnson. Speaker Johnson won the role with Trump’s blessing, and he has a long record of extreme policies. He has supported policies that would marriage equality, criminalize abortion nationwide, and gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. 

In the time wasted as our colleagues across the aisle tried and failed to elect a handful of nominees, we are now less than three weeks from a government shutdown — the exact situation that led to the previous Speaker’s ouster in the first place.  

This has also been a devastating time for all who seek peace in Israel and Palestine. Following Hamas’ attack in Israel, I supported a resolution condemning Hamas and mourning the loss of those killed in their attack. The escalation has brought tremendous suffering to Palestinians in Gaza. As the death toll grows, it is urgent for the U.S. government to work for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire. We must focus on freeing all the hostages, getting aid into Gaza at the massive scale that is needed, and preventing an even more devastating regional conflict. If your loved one is a US citizen in Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza and needs help getting home, you can contact the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem by calling 1-833-890-9595 or 1-606-641-0131 or filling out the intake form at cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.

Read on to see what else I’ve been up to this past month. At the bottom of this email you’ll find more information on the Medicare Open Enrollment period, which began on October 15, and new cost-saving benefits that are available. 

On October 15, the Medicare Open Enrollment period began and seniors now have the opportunity to sign up for the program. Thanks to the Inflation Act, passed by Congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Biden, seniors are now able to choose Medicare plans with the following cost-saving benefits.

• The cost of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries is now capped at $35 per month.
• As of October 15, many beneficiaries will now pay less for prescription drugs. Any drug covered by Medicare Part B will have a lower coinsurance if the price has increased above inflation. In 2024, Medicare Part D enrollees who have drug costs high enough to go beyond a certain threshold will no longer be required to pay any cost sharing for their Part D drugs. Starting January 1, 2024, this threshold is set at $8,000. By 2025, this will move to a flat $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, saving nearly 19 million seniors an average of $400 a year.
• Recommended vaccines are now completely covered under Medicare. That means no out-of-pocket cost for vaccines to prevent shingles, tetanus, hepatitis, COVID, and flu.
• Starting this month, if a drug company raises the price of a Medicare Part D prescription by more than the rate of inflation, the manufacturer will have to pay the difference in price back to Medicare. That means more money for Medicare to cover costs — savings that will be passed on to seniors.

To find out more about Medicare Open Enrollment, how you can change your own plan, or work with the seniors in your life to get them on Medicare, click here.

None of this happened by accident. In the 116th Congress, my colleagues and I in the Progressive Caucus pushed hard for the House to pass legislation that lowers health care costs, and we were able to ensure that provisions like these were included in the final Inflation Reduction Act.

This is important progress, but our work isn't finished. I'll keep working to lower health care costs for you and your family. No one should have to worry about being able to afford the medicine they need to live.