It’s a scary time in American politics.
The results of the November election are discouraging to many Indianapolis residents. But make no mistake: as your representative, I am fighting for you in Congress — just as I always have.
That means protecting your right to quality, affordable health insurance and receiving the Medicare benefits you deserve.
I won’t sugarcoat it. There are real and serious threats to undo the progress Democrats and President Biden made. In 2022, I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce costs for seniors. This includes provisions making Medicare more affordable than ever. We capped total out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs so that seniors will never pay more than $2,000 a year, no matter how expensive your drugs are. We also capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month — saving folks hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars.
In fact, in our district, 34,000 Medicare beneficiaries are expected to save a total of $7.4 million in out-of-pocket costs for their prescriptions this year alone. That’s an average of $577 per person.
Next year, the Inflation Reduction Act is projected to save seniors $832 per person. But unfortunately, Project 2025 explicitly plans to repeal big parts of the Inflation Reduction Act that have made these cost savings possible.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican. The Inflation Reduction Act has helped thousands of seniors, regardless of who they voted for. And I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to look past politics and protect the real benefits helping thousands of Hoosiers.
Prescription drug companies will now need to pay a rebate to Medicare if they raise prices more than the rate of inflation. Coming in 2025, the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap, also known as the ‘Donut Hole,’ will also be eliminated.
Starting in this year’s open enrollment period, seniors can enroll in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP), which allows you to spread out drug costs in monthly installments rather than paying everything upfront at the counter. This is another way the Inflation Reduction Act is helping seniors save. It’s also important to remember that the MPPP is something beneficiaries must opt-in to every year.
The cost savings I voted for help seniors of all backgrounds, but in particular, it’s helped Black Americans. Among adults 65 and older, studies show that Black Medicare beneficiaries are roughly 1.5 times as likely as white beneficiaries to have trouble affording medications and about twice as likely to not fill needed prescriptions because of costs.
Time and time again, I hear from Indianapolis residents that the high cost of healthcare and prescription drugs puts a huge strain on their household budgets. No one should go without medications like insulin simply because they can’t afford it.
We need to expand commonsense, life-saving health protections to all Americans, not just people with Medicare. The last thing seniors need is a reversal of policies that have helped them save money and receive the quality, affordable health care they deserve. Efforts to repeal or cut back on the Inflation Reduction Act will hurt the quality of health care and drive up prices.
For now, if you are 65 or older and need coverage for the first time — or if you want to switch to a better plan — open enrollment for Medicare runs now until Dec. 7.
In addition to Medicare.gov, which has several tools to compare and evaluate plans, I encourage you to visit in.gov/ship and book an appointment with a Medicare expert to compare plans and answer questions. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE or 1-800-452-4800 to find a State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
With many changes happening this year in Medicare, it’s more important than ever for seniors to check that your plan still works for you or explore updates that may help you.
Seniors should review your Annual Notice of Change to check that:
- Your medication is still covered in 2025 and if there are any medication restrictions.
- Your pharmacy is still in network.
- Your health care providers are still in network.
- You understand any premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance and tier changes.
Some things have changed, but as always, my office is available to help and support you through this process. You deserve a plan that fits you, your needs and helps you breathe a little easier.
The future for our state and country is unclear. But one thing is certain: I will be in Congress representing you and your best interests. I will always be fighting for you — the people who give our community and our country so much potential when we work together for good.
Congressman Carson’s office can be contacted at (317) 283-6516 or by sending a message at carson.house.gov.
