For Immediate Release
May 12, 2021
Contact: Maggie Leuzarder, MLeuzarder@mercuryllc.com

NEW: Protect Our Care New Jersey Launches Campaign on Dire Need To Lower Drug Prices With Digital Ads

The Seven-Figure Campaign Will Include Ads and Activities in 12 Key States

New Jersey — Today, Protect Our Care New Jersey is launching The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices, a significant seven-figure investment to demonstrate the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices. The campaign will include research, paid and earned media, and grassroots and grasstops engagement. At its core, it will showcase real people who are struggling to afford life-saving prescriptions and what skyrocketing drug prices mean for them and their families. Americans pay three times more for drugs as people in other countries, forcing millions to choose between lifesaving prescriptions and other basic necessities like buying groceries or paying rent.

Protect Our Care is kicking off The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices with a national television ad that underscores President Biden’s commitment to reducing drug prices and conveys the urgency for lawmakers to act now and give Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. The ad will begin running on cable news channels this week.

The ad will also run digitally in 12 key states. Protect Our Care’s campaign will target Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The campaign follows recent polling released by Protect Our Care that found broad and deep support among voters for addressing skyrocketing prescription drug prices. Voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support Democrats’ proposal to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans — the single most effective way to bring down drug prices. Policies to reduce drug prices will help seniors, women, children, and communities of color.

Last week, Protect Our Care New Jersey held a virtual press conference with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06), state and local elected officials, and health care storytellers from across New Jersey to emphasize the impact of high prescription drug prices and to call for Congress to take action on this urgent issue. Protect Our Care organized a total of nine events nationwide featuring U.S. Representatives Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01) and Darren Soto (D-FL-09) in addition to Congressman Pallone.

“Americans should not have to pay three times more for medicines than people in other countries. Prescription drug prices in this country are outrageous and unfair, and it’s time to provide long-overdue relief to American families. Millions of Americans are forced to choose between paying for the medicines they need to live or paying for food or rent, while drug companies make huge profits.” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Overwhelming majorities of voters across parties agree that Medicare should have the power to negotiate for lower drug prices for all Americans. Protect Our Care will make sure people know which of their elected officials are supporting these efforts to bring down drug prices, and which ones are committed to protecting Big Pharma’s profits. As the country recovers from the economic and health crisis, American families cannot wait. The time to act is now. ”

Script for national ad (:60):

Nearly 20 years ago, Congress banned Medicare from negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs

(and) We’ve paid the price

Americans pay nearly 3-times more for the same drugs as people in other countries

Families and seniors have to choose between buying medicines or paying rent

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

President Biden: “We have to change that and we can.”

Congress can act now to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

Lower prices for everyone – people on Medicare and people who aren’t.

More than 8-in-10 Americans agree, including a majority of Republicans.

President Biden: “Let’s give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower prescription drug prices.”

President Biden: “It’s within our power to do it. Let’s do it now. We’ve talked about it long enough – Democrats and Republicans. Let’s get it done this year.”

BACKGROUND:

The Time To Act Is Now: Lower Drug Prices For All New Jerseyans

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