President Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders join forces to promote lower health care costs

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden worked with Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to promote his administration’s efforts to lower the cost of inhalers and other health care needs, as the White House continues its efforts to highlight Biden’s legislative achievements to voters ahead of the elections in November.

“Bernie, you and I have been fighting this for 25 years,” Biden told Sanders at the event in the White House Indian Treaty Room. “We finally defeated Big Pharma. Finally.”

Both men touted the lower health care costs resulting from Democrats’ sweeping climate, health care and tax package that Biden signed into law in 2022. It limits several health care costs for those on Medicare, including $35 per month for insulin and $2,000 per month. years for prescription drugs.

Not a single Republican lawmaker voted in favor of the law. His aides and Democratic officials say Biden’s achievements, such as lowering health care costs, are popular with the public, but the incumbent president has not yet received credit from voters.

And both Biden and Sanders promoted their efforts to pressure major inhaler manufacturers to cap the cost of the devices at no more than $35 per month. Otherwise, the purchase price of inhalers ranges anywhere from $200 to $600 without insurance, the White House said.

“I want to thank President Biden for what he has done so far on this issue, and I look forward to working with the president in the future,” Sanders said.

Sanders, a Vermont independent, and Biden were rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. After Sanders ended his bid, his aides worked with Biden campaign officials to craft a party policy platform that would reflect Sanders’ influence.

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Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.