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Friends, 

During this holiday season, I know Iowa families have been feeling the pinch of higher prices. I have been working hard at reducing prices for folks and keeping money in their wallets, especially when it comes to cutting the costs of health care. 

This year, I worked with my colleagues to lower prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices, and by capping the cost of insulin at $35 for Medicare beneficiaries. 

At the beginning of the year, a new law that I voted for to eliminate surprise bills from hospitals and health care companies also took effect. Since then, I've supported measures to help shore up the Affordable Care Act such as pushing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Agency to improve health care options for small businesses, and much more. 

Keep reading to learn more about what I've been working on. 

Inflation Reduction Act Reduces Prescription Drug Prices for Iowans

I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act — historic legislation to lower costs for American families. 

One of the main components of this bill is to tackle the crushing costs of health care and prescription drugs through several measures including capping insulin copays at $35 per month for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.

The legislation also extends Affordable Care Act subsidies, which lower insurance premiums for Iowans, through 2025, and will allow Medicare Part D to cover adult vaccines free of cost, helping older Iowans access vaccines like shingles.

Drug prices will also be capped at the rate of inflation beginning in 2023 and beyond so prices do not rise drastically in times when money is already tight for Iowans.

Fixing the "Family Glitch" to Lower Prices for Iowans

In  April, I attended an event at the White House where President Joseph R. Biden announced a proposal to fix the "family glitch," which refers to an issue where workers may find themselves ineligible for Affordable Care Act premium subsidies because their employer-sponsored insurance is deemed ‘affordable,’ even though the real costs for their family’s coverage may be substantially higher.

The new rule, which I supported, will end the family glitch and was finalized this October. This fix is estimated to lower the cost of health insurance coverage for nearly 1 million Americans, some by hundreds of dollars per month, and help 200,000 uninsured Americans afford coverage.

Expanding Health Care Plans for Small Businesses 

In response to the challenges faced by small businesses in providing health benefits to their employees, I have also pushed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Agency (CMS) to improve health insurance options for small businesses, revitalize the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), and help keep costs low for Iowa businesses.

SHOP, established by the Affordable Care Act, created state and federal exchanges for small employers to offer high-quality health insurance plans and, for eligible employers, access to the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

Unfortunately, SHOP has fallen well short of the Congressional Budget Office’s projected participation, reaching less than 10 percent of its goal. In addition, twenty-eight of the fifty SHOP exchanges currently have no plans available, including Iowa’s.

As a small business owner, I know how hard it is to find affordable health care plans, so I wrote a letter to CMS inquiring about what they can do to make a SHOP plan available for small businesses in Iowa and more generally support more affordable options for small businesses to offer healthcare to their employees.

These are monumental changes that will help Iowans get the care they need and keep more money in their pockets.

I've fought to lower prices for Iowans since the day I came to Congress, and I am thankful to have been able to make this happen.

Be well, 

Cindy