Biden and Harris announce "historic" price reduction for drugs

AFP Biden and Harris announce "historic" price reduction for drugs • 49 million • 1 minute reading time US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have jointly announced a "historic" price reduction for ten drugs for the elderly. US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have announced a "historic" price reduction for ten drugs for the elderly. The agreement with the drug manufacturers will save seniors in the USA $1.5 billion (around 1.4 billion euros) in 2026 alone and the state health insurance system Medicare $6 billion, according to a statement released by the White House on Thursday. Drugs for diabetes and heart failure as well as blood thinners are affected by the price reduction. In the USA, the prices of drugs are generally higher than in other industrialized countries because there are no regulations on price controls. Even with health insurance, patients often have to pay a lot extra. The relief was announced by Biden and Harris shortly before their first joint campaign appearance on Thursday in Washington, Maryland. One of the topics discussed is curbing inflation, which is a central theme in the US election campaign. Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blames the Biden administration for the sharp rise in the cost of living.