Your ability to get and afford health care should never depend on the color of your skin, what neighborhood you live in, or what language you speak. During this Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we celebrate the rich cultures, heritage and accomplishments of the communities. We must also recognize the remaining barriers to health and health access for these communities and renew commitments to addressing racial disparities.
Asian Americans are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites, so access to insulin and other diabetes medicine is essential for achieving blood sugar control and maintaining good health. One of the first benefits of President Joe Biden’s new lower cost prescription drug law — the Inflation Reduction Act — to go into effect caps the cost of each covered insulin product under Medicare at $35 per month.
In Hawaii, about 4,000 people with Medicare could save an average of $389 per year thanks to this benefit. The new law also makes certain recommended adult vaccines, like shingles and RSV, available at no cost for people with Part D coverage — helping eliminate cost-related barriers to vaccination for people with Medicare. Finally, under this administration, we have begun the historic process of negotiating directly with participating drug companies for lower prescription drug prices for some of the most expensive drugs — for the first time ever.
As the regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Hawaii, I am proud to be a part of the administration’s work to implement policies that improve access, advance equity and promote economic opportunities for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. The Inflation Reduction Act is making historic strides toward improving health for all communities, including the 2.1 million Medicare beneficiaries who identify as Asian.
Asian American people with Medicare report more difficulty obtaining their prescription drugs than their white counterparts, underscoring the need for better access and affordability for needed medicines. The president’s new lower cost drug law is bringing relief to Asian American as well as Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Medicare enrollees who may be struggling to afford high drug costs. The lower-cost prescription drug law expanded its Extra Help program for Part D beginning in January, which means more than 11,000 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Medicare enrollees with low incomes may be eligible for $0 premiums, $0 deductibles and generic drug copays that are no more than $4.50. With more than 3 million people eligible for these benefits that have yet to enroll, we need help spreading the word to your friends, family and loved ones.
Go to Medicare.gov/ExtraHelp for more information and to see if you’re eligible. And to spread the word, go to LowerDrugCosts.gov to find a toolkit that contains informational postcards in traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
President Biden is delivering on his promise to lower prescription drug costs, make health insurance more affordable, and make the economy work for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families. But we know our work is not done — this administration will continue to make health equity a cornerstone of our policies and work tirelessly so that all communities can access the care they need. ———
Dr. Jeffrey Reynoso is the Region IX director for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, representing Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona, the Pacific and 157 federally recognized tribes.
Dr. Jeffrey Reynoso is the Region IX director for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, representing Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona, the Pacific and 157 federally recognized tribes.
