Vice Presidential Pool Reports of August 10, 2021

VP pool #1 -- background

Good morning. Vice President Harris is scheduled to meet people and deliver remarks today at a community health center at about 9:20 or 9:30 a.m. Pool will travel to the event separately from the White House and provide color. The remarks will be livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Here is the background provided by the White House.

On Background From a White House Official

On Tuesday, August 10th at 9:30am, Vice President Harris will deliver remarks at Unity Health Care's Brentwood Health Center in Washington D.C. on how the President's Build Back Better Agenda will make health care more accessible and affordable.

The Vice President will also announce that 2.5 million people have newly signed up for health insurance during the 2021 Special Enrollment Period, and encourage all Americans to visit HealthCare.gov to sign up for coverage before the August 15 deadline.

As Congress votes on the Build Back Better Agenda, the Vice President will highlight in her remarks how health insurance is more affordable than ever thanks to the American Rescue Plan – and that we need to build on this progress by passing the Build Back Better Agenda, which includes extending the ACA health care premium reductions that helped make these coverage increases possible. In addition, Build Back Better will (1) close the Medicaid coverage gap, (2) expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing, and (3) lower prescription drug costs. Public opinion polls show that the majority of Americans, Republicans and Democrats, support lowering health care costs and expanding access.

Unity Health Care is the largest network of community health centers in Washington D.C., with over 20 sites across the District including the Brentwood Health Center. Its mission is to provide comprehensive primary and specialty health care services, as well as supportive wrap-around services, to all of its patients regardless of ability to pay. Vice President Harris will talk with Unity Health Care patients and staff, and deliver remarks.

Like President Biden, Vice President Harris believes that health care is a right, not a privilege. As California's Attorney General, Harris vigorously defended the Affordable Care Act in court, including in 2011, when she filed an amicus brief in support of the law. As Senator, she fought to improve and expand the Affordable Care Act – and protect the law from attempts to have it dismantled - including by voting against its repeal in 2017.

Please see the Fact Sheet below for additional information.

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Lowers Health Care Costs

Vice President Harris Outlines How Build Back Better Lowers Health Care Costs, Announces 2.5 Million Americans Signed Up for Health Insurance Ahead of Aug. 15 Deadline

Like President Biden, Vice President Harris believes that health care is a right, not a privilege. Together, they promised to ensure that every American has access to quality, affordable health care and the peace of mind that health insurance brings. As part of that promise, just weeks after taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration opened a special enrollment period through HealthCare.gov to provide all Americans the opportunity to sign up for health insurance.

Today, during an event at Unity Health Care's Brentwood Health Center in Washington D.C., Vice President Harris is announcing that 2.5 million people have newly signed up for health insurance during the 2021 Special Enrollment Period as she delivers remarks on how the Build Back Better Agenda will lower health care costs for Americans. That is millions more people who can now rest easy knowing they are covered, and who join the over 30 million people who have health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With six days left in the Special Enrollment Period, Vice President Harris encourages all Americans who need access to quality, affordable health insurance to visitHealthCare.gov to sign up for coverage before the August 15 deadline.

Health insurance is now more affordable than ever thanks to the American Rescue Plan. Because of the law's enhanced tax credits, nine million Americans who buy their coverage through the Affordable Care Act have lower premiums, saving families an average of $40 per person per month — that's nearly $2,000 per year for a typical family of four. Since April 1, over one-third of new and returning HealthCare.gov customers have found a quality plan with a premium of $10 or less per month, and returning HealthCare.gov consumers have seen their premiums drop, on average, by 40 percent.

This success is why it is so critical to pass the Build Back Better Agenda through budget reconciliation: to ensure that Americans can continue to take advantage of these savings.

• Reducing Health Care Costs.

The Build Back Better Agenda will extend the enhanced tax credits that lower premiums. Those lower costs helped drive more than 2.5 million people to enroll in coverage since the beginning of this Administration. Extending these lower premiums will allow nine million people to continue to save hundreds of dollars per year on their premiums, and four million uninsured people will gain coverage. At a time when health care costs are too high, extending enhanced ACA tax credits is critically important to families.

• Passing the Build Back Better Agenda Is Urgent.

The premium reductions in the American Rescue Plan have provided a critical lifeline for millions of people and buoyed our work to enroll consumers to date. We cannot let this critical assistance come to an end. If it expires, millions of Americans will see their premiums increase. On average, premiums would nearly double, and some Americans (particularly those in the their 50s and 60s), could see their premiums increase by thousands of dollars per year. That's just not right; Americans should be able to continue to count on the lower premiums available today.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to building on this progress through the Build Back Better Agenda, which will expand on these efforts and make health care more accessible and affordable. Specifically, the President's Build Back Better Agenda includes:

• Expanding Medicare Coverage.

Medicare today doesn't cover dental, vision, or hearing services, with very limited exceptions. Many beneficiaries have to pay out of pocket, often costing them thousands of dollars per year. Americans who can't afford that are forced to go without these critical services instead. That's why it's critical we add comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing services to Medicare, so that all beneficiaries will have affordable access to these vital health services.

• Lowering Prescription Drug Costs.

For every other type of health care service, Medicare works to get the best prices for American seniors. But for prescription drugs – and only prescription drugs – Medicare is prohibited by law from negotiating for the best deal. Medicare should be able to negotiate the prices it pays for prescription drugs, and drug companies that raise their prices faster than inflation should have to pay a penalty. We must also cap the amount that Medicare beneficiaries have to pay out-of-pocket for drugs each year, so that seniors with expensive drugs can still make ends meet.

• Closing the Medicaid Coverage Gap.

The Affordable Care Act created new pathways to health coverage by expanding Medicaid. Yet, nearly 4 million people can't get covered because they live in states that refuse to expand Medicaid. The Biden-Harris Administration believes people deserve to have the peace of mind that health insurance brings, which is why we must close the Medicaid gap by providing federally-administered coverage for people in states that refuse to expand, and therefore can't get covered through no fault of their own.

The Biden-Harris Administration continues to do everything we can to make high quality health care more affordable and accessible. By lowering health care costs, expanding access to coverage, and enabling Medicare to negotiate prescription drugs, Congress can do its part to bring down costs and secure the health and financial security of the American people.

VP pool #2 -- arrival and greeting

Hi, VP arrived at about 9:22. Remarks will begin shortly on live stream.

Before speaking, Harris arrived at a nurses' station and thanked the staff for five minutes (about 13 were gathered behind a large desk-station area).

"This is where the real work happens," she said through her mask.
"You all have been holding it down through the course of the pandemic. I know you've seen ups and downs."
"We're going to get through this," she said, nodding and looking intently as the staff members, standing, looked at her.

Clinic director Gerald Jones then came up to greet her as the pool was ushered out.

The event is at the Brentwood Health Center, within the Unity Health Care system. It is in Northeast Washington and shares a campus with Israel Baptist Church. It serves largely low-income and minority patients, many of whom rely on Medicare and Medicaid, according to Jones.

On the way in, pool passed a number of exam rooms that were mostly empty. The speech was delivered in a room that appeared to be a waiting or check-in room, with a check-in both on the right under a large "DENTAL" sign. About 20 people, clinic executive committee members per Jones, sat in the audience of portable chairs, wearing masks.

In a nearby corner, there was also a toddler area set up with small tables, books and toys.

VP pool #3 -- speech

Laura Hatcher, a small business owner with a disabled son introduced VP Harris at 9:40. She said everyone in her family has pre-existing conditions and that the American Rescue Plan has saved her $600 a month.

"That is peace of mind," she said.

She appeared to choke up when she said she hopes the subsidy can remain, especially as her daughter starts college. She is pre-med at Johns Hopkins.

Harris then came up and congratulated her daughter Olivia, who was seated in the audience, as she began her own remarks. "Thank you for telling your story and sharing your story...a sadly common story..."

Harris, who had teleprompters set up, talked about the value of the ACA and reminded people they have until Sunday to sign up under the special enrolment period. "the demand is there by the way," she said, citing the 2.5 million who have signed up in this period.
"people want affordable health coverage. We just have to make sure it is accessible" and people know where it is...
She talked about the importance of passing the administration's plans which would extend subsidies and expand access to dental and other coverage.

"I do believe we can get this done. I know we can get this done."

She said the admin has provided $6b to community health centers "you provide a critical service. You keep our families healthy" a place where people will be "treated with dignity and respect."

She concluded remarks at 9:52 and walked away from the lectern.

VP pool #4 — arrival

The motorcade arrived at the White House at 10:06 after a nine minute ride.

Have a good day.