How the Biden-Harris administration made healthcare more affordable for Michiganders

The American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act lowered healthcare premiums, lowered drug costs and made vaccines free for Michigan seniors on Medicare, and eliminated medical debt for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders.

Susan Robertson, 74, from Lansing hoped to get vaccinated against shingles after suffering from a painful episode in 2017. But she couldn’t afford the $400 copay – that is until the Biden-Harris administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. 

The law makes vaccines for shingles and other diseases free for Medicare beneficiaries like Robertson. 

“I’m not gambling on getting shingles again,” she said. “I absolutely feel we’re going in the right direction.”

Like Robertson, Michiganders can now find more affordable and accessible health care coverage thanks to two pieces of legislation passed by the Biden-Harris administration. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) reduced costs for prescription drugs, made vaccines free for seniors on Medicare, lowered the cost of Affordable Care Act health care premiums, and more. 

How the Inflation Reduction Act could help your family

The IRA, passed in 2022 over fierce opposition from Congressional Republicans, helps Michiganders by:

• Capping out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare Part D enrollees – saving 673,000 Michiganders an average of $356 per year;
• Making shingles, RSV, and other recommended vaccines free (these previously required a co-pay from some 176,000 Michigan Medicare enrollees);
• Capping insulin at $35 per month for some 122,000 Michigan Medicare enrollees who rely on that medication;
• Extended generous Affordable Care Act subsidies that were set to expire, allowing some 63,000 Michiganders (especially those from historically uninsured demographics) to keep their health insurance; 
• Expanding the “Extra Help” subsidy program, moving about 14,000 low-income Part D enrollees from partial benefits to full benefits.

The American Rescue Plan

The Inflation Reduction Act isn’t the only healthcare bill the Biden-Harris administration passed into law.

The American Rescue Plan Act was passed in 2021, without any Republican votes. It built on the Affordable Care Act to help Americans access necessary health care. Some 304,000 Michiganders with marketplace coverage were able to continue saving an average of $790 per year under the law, thanks to the subsidies provided under the law (and later reauthorized under the Inflation Reduction Act).

Thanks to these laws and their role in reducing premium costs, a record 418,100 Michiganders got health care coverage through ACA’s HealthCare.gov exchange during the 2024 open enrollment period.

Looking ahead to a possible Kamala Harris presidency

The Affordable Care Act subsidies included in the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act are set to expire at the end of 2025, meaning the outcome of November’s election will play a huge role in whether they’re reauthorized.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested he might again try to repeal the Affordable Care Act and has opposed the Inflation Reduction Act and its healthcare measures. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, meanwhile, is likely to push for the extension of financial support for those with marketplace insurance. 

Beyond her role in casting the tie breaking votes in the Senate to pass the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act into law, Harris has a long record of working to address healthcare costs. 

As Vice President, as Attorney General of California, and as a Senator, Harris has taken on pharmaceutical companies and other large corporate interests. She recently called for canceling medical debt for millions of Americans. 

Michigan has already used ARPA funds to eliminate $900 million in medical debt for up to 280,000 residents.

“When I was attorney general of California, I met with countless families who were often quietly suffering because they or a loved one could not afford the medication they needed and were prescribed,” Harris said last year. “I investigated drugmakers that tried to stop production of cheaper, generic versions of their drugs, and we held them accountable … every person, not just the wealthy or well-connected, [will have] the opportunity to thrive and can live a life of dignity after they retire.”

Learn More 

To learn more about Michigan health care coverage for you and your family, visit:  https://www.michigan.gov/difs/consumers/insurance/health-insurance.