\n\tKFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs<\/span><\/p>\n

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, shared a debate stage June 27 for the first time since 2020, in a confrontation that \u2014 because of strict debate rules \u2014 managed to avoid the near-constant interruptions that marred their previous encounters.<\/p>\n

Biden, who spoke in a raspy voice and often struggled to articulate his arguments, said at one point that his administration \u201cfinally beat Medicare.\u201d Trump, meanwhile, repeated numerous falsehoods, including that Democrats want doctors to be able to abort babies after birth.<\/p>\n

Trump took credit for the Supreme Court\u2019s 2022 decision that upended Roe v. Wade<\/em> and returned abortion policy to states. \u201cThis is what everybody wanted,\u201d he said, adding \u201cit\u2019s been a great thing.\u201d Biden\u2019s response: \u201cIt\u2019s been a terrible thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In one notable moment, Trump said he would not repeal FDA approval for medication abortion, used last year in nearly two-thirds<\/a> of U.S. abortions. Some conservatives have targeted the FDA\u2019s more than 20-year-old approval of the drug mifepristone to further restrict access to abortion nationwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill. And I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it,\u201d Trump said. The Supreme Court ruled this month that an alliance of anti-abortion medical groups and doctors lacked standing to challenge the FDA\u2019s approval of the drug. The court\u2019s ruling, however, did not amount to an approval of the drug.<\/p>\n

CNN hosted the debate, which had no audience, at its Atlanta headquarters. CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderated. The debate format allowed CNN to mute candidates\u2019 microphones when it wasn\u2019t their turn to speak.<\/p>\n

Our PolitiFact partners<\/a> fact-checked the debate in real time as Biden and Trump clashed on the economy, immigration, and abortion, and revisited discussion of their ages. Biden, 81, has become the oldest sitting U.S. president; if Trump defeats him, he would end his second term at age 82. You can read the full coverage here<\/a> and excerpts detailing specific health-related claims follow:<\/p>\n

Biden: \u201cWe brought down the price [of] prescription drug[s], which is a major issue for many people, to $15 for an insulin shot, as opposed to $400.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Half True<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Biden touted his efforts to reduce prescription drug costs by referring to the $35 monthly insulin price cap his administration put in place as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. But he initially flubbed the number during the debate, saying it was lowered to $15. In his closing statement, Biden corrected the amount to $35.<\/p>\n

The price of insulin for Medicare enrollees, starting in 2023, dropped to $35 a month, not $15. Drug pricing experts told PolitiFact when it rated a similar claim that most Medicare enrollees were likely not paying a monthly average of $400 before the changes, although because costs vary depending on coverage phases and dosages, some might have paid that much in a given month.<\/p>\n

Trump: \u201cI\u2019m the one that got the insulin down for the seniors.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mostly False.<\/strong> When he was president, Trump instituted the Part D Senior Savings Model<\/a>, a program that capped insulin costs at $35 a month for some older Americans in participating drug plans.<\/p>\n

But because it was voluntary, only 38% of all Medicare drug plans<\/a>, including Medicare Advantage plans, participated in 2022, according to KFF. Trump\u2019s plan also covered only one form of each dosage and insulin type.<\/p>\n

Biden points to the Inflation Reduction Act\u2019s mandatory $35 monthly insulin cap as a major achievement. This cap applies to all Medicare prescription plans and expanded to all covered insulin types and dosages. Although Trump\u2019s model was a start, it did not have the sweeping reach that Biden\u2019s mandatory cap achieved.<\/p>\n

Biden: Trump \u201cwants to get rid of the ACA again.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n