CONTACT: Michael DeSantis
michael@americancommitment.org
A majority of older voters support the EPIC Act, which would fix the IRA’s pill penalty by granting small-molecule medicines the same 13-year exemption from government price setting as other medicines receive.
Washington, D.C. — February 18, 2025 — Commitment to Seniors, a project of American Commitment, released a new national poll today conducted by McLaughlin & Associates among 1,600 likely voters 55 and older. The survey reveals older voters’ overwhelming concerns with the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) “pill penalty,” which disincentivizes investment in small-molecule medicines, and support of the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act as a method to fix the reckless provision.
Key findings include:
- 86% of voters 55+ are concerned that the IRA’s “pill penalty” will lead to less investment in American research and development of cutting-edge small molecule medicines and therapies that can prevent, treat, and cure diseases, including cancer.
- 87% of voters 55+ are concerned that the IRA’s “pill penalty” will make small molecule medicines harder to get, and increase reliance on treatments that are more expensive, more difficult to administer, and less effective.
- 86% of voters 55+ are concerned that the IRA’s “pill penalty” will mean fewer new medicines in pill and tablet form for patients battling chronic conditions.
- 82% of voters 55+ support the EPIC Act to fix the IRA’s “pill penalty” by granting small molecule medicines in pill and tablet form the same 13-year price control exemption that other medicines receive.
“These numbers are off the charts,” said Phil Kerpen, President of American Commitment. “Seniors understand that the Biden pill penalty has created a massive disincentive to develop easy to take pills. The so-called Inflation Reduction Act failed to reduce inflation, and its drug price controls are undermining the race for new cures, especially pills which are easier to take than injections. At an absolute minimum, Congress must include the EPIC Act in the upcoming reconciliation package to end the pill penalty.”
“Seniors are sounding the alarm on the IRA’s broken promises, and lawmakers must listen,” shared Bob Johnson, a retiree and Senior Advisor for Commitment to Seniors. “The EPIC Act is a critical step to fixing the Biden pill penalty and ensuring that seniors have access to the treatments they need without Washington bureaucrats deciding which medicines are worth investing in and which are not.”
“These results clearly reflect the painful consequences of the IRA and how seniors aren’t buying the former Biden administration’s talking points. Congress must seize the opportunity to mitigate the harsh impacts of the Biden pill penalty and rebuild our healthcare marketplace before it’s far too late,” said Jim McLaughlin, President and Partner of McLaughlin & Associates.
Poll results can be found on the website of our Commitment to Seniors project:
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American Commitment is dedicated to restoring and protecting our nation’s commitment to free markets, economic growth, Constitutionally-limited government, property rights, and individual freedom. American Commitment engages in critical public policy fights over the size and intrusiveness of government through direct advocacy, strategic policy analysis, and grassroots mobilization. Visit us online at www.AmericanCommitment.org.
McLaughlin & Associates is a national survey research and strategic services company whose personnel have played a key role in assisting successful organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America. McLaughlin & Associates specializes in public opinion research, media planning and buying services, and strategic consulting services. More about McLaughlin & Associates can be found online at wwww.mclaughlinonline.com