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MAKING HEALTHCARE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR OHIOANS

Senator Sherrod Brown has spent his entire career fighting to ensure every Ohioan can access affordable healthcare.

Senator Brown led the fight to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and has spent the years since working to protect this legislation, helping the more than five million Ohioans with pre-existing conditions secure healthcare. He was instrumental in passing landmark legislation that strengthened the ACA, delivered affordable healthcare to a record number of Americans, lowered prescription drug costs, and expanded Medicaid.

In this issue of In Union, we’re taking a closer look at how Senator Brown is helping more families and seniors afford the healthcare coverage and prescriptions they need.

Sources: Policy Matters Ohio, 12/19/2019; Ohio Capital Journal, 4/1/2024

I would like to thank Sherrod Brown for initiating this price cut because if I didn’t have this price cut, I couldn’t afford the insulin that keeps me healthy and alive. So therefore, I want to say thank you very much for that.”

Source: brown.senate.gov, Press Release, 4/15/2024

—TERRY FROM OHIO

SENATOR SHERROD BROWN: EXPANDING HEALTHCARE

Senator Sherrod Brown has worked relentlessly to make prescription drugs more affordable for Ohioans. He took on Big Pharma to successfully reduce the costs of prescription drugs and help seniors afford their lifesaving medications by:

y Capping insulin copays at $35 per month for Medicare Part D beneficiaries

y Allowing Medicare to negotiate drug costs, beginning with ten of the most widely used and expensive prescription drugs that treat conditions such as heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases

y Limiting out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions at $2,000 per year beginning in 2025

Sources: Spectrum News NY 1, 8/4/2022; Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/22/2022

Senator Brown fought for and passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which have strengthened Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and provided meaningful relief from the high costs of prescription drugs and health insurance premiums.

Senator Sherrod Brown has staunchly supported and protected the Affordable Care Act in the 14 years since he first worked to pass the law, expanding affordable healthcare coverage to a record 21.3 million Americans and 477,793 Ohioans by:

y Eliminating the cap on eligibility for ACA coverage to allow more individuals and families to qualify

y Subsidizing COBRA payments for people who lost their jobs or whose hours were reduced

y Capping premium payments so no individual pays more than 8.5 % of their income for healthcare

y Expanding Medicaid coverage and providing better access to care for individuals with disabilities

Sources: Politico, 3/5/2024; AFL-CIO, 3/11/2021; The Hill, 12/12/2023; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 1/24/2024

To check if you are eligible for ACA benefits, visit healthcare.gov/screener

HEALTHCARE COVERAGE AND LOWERING COSTS

SENATOR SHERROD BROWN: ENSURING

VETERANS GET THE CARE THEY DESERVE

For years, Senator Brown has been a leader in the fight to secure comprehensive health benefits for veterans who suffered toxic exposure to burn pits or other toxins while serving our country. And because of Senator Brown’s tireless efforts, nearly 150,000 veterans nationwide—including thousands of Ohio veterans—who fought for our country no longer have to fight for the care they deserve.

Brown introduced and successfully passed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, delivering long-overdue benefits to generations of veterans and their families. The legislation was named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a Central Ohio veteran who passed away in 2020 at age 39 from lung cancer after exposure to burn pits during a one-year deployment in Iraq in 2006.

Sources: U.S. Congress, H.R. 3967, 6/17/2021; U.S. Congress, H.R. 3967, Roll Call #230, 6/16/2022; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 3/5/2024 and 5/24/2024; Ohio Department of Veterans Services, accessed 5/17/2024

REPUBLICANS PLANNING TO CUT HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS

Republicans in Washington are working to eliminate Senator Brown’s progress on affordable healthcare. These Republicans take huge contributions from Big Pharma and insurance companies, and in exchange, serve these wealthy corporate interests at the expense of working people. They will force millions to lose their healthcare coverage as they seek to give massive tax breaks to billionaires and boost corporate profits by:

y Hiking up health insurance premiums

y Denying coverage for people with pre-existing conditions

y Banning Medicare from negotiating for lower costs

y Forcing seniors to pay thousands more out-of-pocket for their prescription drugs

Sources: Associated Press, 11/27/2023; Axios, 9/11/2023; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/20/2023; Protect Our Care, 6/6/2023

Senator Brown urges all Ohio veterans and their families to determine if they can receive benefits under the PACT Act. Contact your local Office of Veterans Affairs or the VA at 800-698-2411 to check eligibility. For additional information, visit va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits

Paid for by In Union USA (www.inunionusa.com) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

In Union is an organization of, by, and for working people that provides straightforward, fact-based information to more than two million people who trust us to be unbiased on topics like the economy and healthcare. In Union doesn’t endorse, lobby, or take contributions from politicians or candidates—and we don’t contribute to them. Instead, we tackle issues important to working-class families, ways to hold politicians accountable, and tips to save money—and we always provide sources. For more information and a complete list of our funders, visit www.inunionusa.com.

SENATOR SHERROD BROWN: PROTECTING OHIOANS’ HEALTH AND SAFETY FROM THE DANGERS OF OPIOIDS

Sherrod Brown has steadfastly supported law enforcement and worked to keep our communities safe from dangerous drugs. Brown sponsored the law signed by President Trump to crack down on smuggling illegal drugs across the border, and he’s fighting to hold Chinese companies and Mexican cartels accountable for profiting off fentanyl.

y Senator Brown secured more than $22 million to aid law enforcement and local agencies with investments in critical tools and equipment to keep illegal drugs out of our communities. This crucial support will both help keep Ohioans safe and also pave the way for a brighter future for individuals battling substance abuse.

y Senator Brown introduced and passed a new law that will reduce the supply of the dangerous drug fentanyl by targeting the networks that produce and distribute it. The Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act strengthens existing regulations and directs the Treasury Department to freeze the assets of these criminal groups and anyone who assists them.

Sources: WFMJ, 10/4/2023; Ohio Capital Journal, 4/25/2024; News 5 Cleveland, 5/6/2024

“While we do all we can as law enforcement officers to keep our communities safe, federal legislation like the FEND Off Fentanyl Act gives us more tools in our toolbox to curb addiction and keep these drugs off the street. And it never would have happened without Senator Brown’s willingness to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans to get the bill passed and signed into law.”

—Charmaine McGuffey, Hamilton County Sheriff

Help is available for Ohioans with substance use disorders and their loved ones 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

To access substance use disorder treatment and resources, visit takecharge.ohio.gov/get-help or call the Get Help Now hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Source: City Beat, 5/9/2024