Health Care

Health Care
House Democrats are committed to expanding access to quality, affordable health care coverage, strengthening protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and lowering prescription drug prices and the cost of health care overall.
House Democrats are committed to expanding access to quality, affordable health care coverage, strengthening protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and lowering prescription drug prices and the cost of health care overall.
 
Under President Biden and Congressional Democrats, the uninsured rate is at an all-time low. While Republicans vote against legislation to lower health care costs, House Democrats are working to bring down the overall costs of health care and increase access to health care coverage.
 
With the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, House Democrats took direct action to reduce health care costs for millions of Americans. For the first time, Medicare will be able to negotiate prescription drug prices for high-cost drugs. The law also caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients at $2,000 annually and establishes a $35 cap for a month’s supply of insulin. The Inflation Reduction Act also protects progress made under President Biden to expand access to quality, affordable health care coverage by continuing the expanded premium tax credits originally passed in the American Rescue Plan, which lowered health care premiums for millions of working families.
 
This built upon the Affordable Care Act – enacted by President Obama and Congressional Democrats in 2010 – that has put American families in control of their own health care and ended a system that put profits ahead of patients. Since its enactment, 35 million Americans have gained access to quality, affordable health coverage. Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be discriminated against by insurance companies. Parents can now keep their children on their insurance plans up to age twenty-six. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to put annual or lifetime limits on coverage or drop people when they get sick. Additionally, thanks to the law, Medicare costs – from premiums and deductibles to overall program spending – have slowed to well below the levels projected before the law passed.
 
These reforms were crucial, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic struck but more action was needed.  That’s why House Democrats worked to enact legislation right away - without any Republican support - to ensure that testing, treatment, and vaccinations for COVID-19 would be covered with no out-of-pocket costs to Americans.

House Democrats remain committed to the goal of affordable, accessible health care for all.  
Health Care Related
"Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill and am proud to bring it to the floor for consideration.

"I appreciate Chairman Nadler's leadership in sponsoring it and shepherding it through committee.
5/14/21
Today marks the 100th day of the 117th Congress. In that time, House Democrats have passed important pieces of legislation and taken decisive action on behalf of the American people. Take a look at the major bills that have passed the House since the beginning of this Congress: 

H.R. 447, National Apprenticeship Act

4/12/21
WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today marking the 11th anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act:

3/23/21
WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today in support of H.R.1868, legislation to prevent cuts to Medicare:

3/19/21
Starting today, millions of Americans without health coverage can log onto HealthCare.gov and get covered through the special enrollment period launched by the Biden Administration.
2/15/21
After four years of the Trump Administration undermining and outright sabotaging our nation's health care system, President Biden is taking the first steps today to reverse course and make health care more accessible and affordable for more Americans. 
1/28/21
Yesterday the Senate passed H.R. 2468, the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act. Introduced by Leader Hoyer and Congressman Phil Roe (TN-01), this bipartisan legislation encourages schools to implement management plans to help students identify and control their asthma and allergies and reduce absenteeism.
12/18/20
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Congressman Dr. Phil Roe (TN-01) praised the Senate for passing H.R. 2468, the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act, t
12/17/20
The COVID-19 pandemic is the worst public health crisis our nation has faced in a century, and the federal government’s approach under the Trump Administration has been irresponsible, erratic, and counterproductive. 
12/7/20
For the past ten years, Republicans have tried to end the Affordable Care Act, even though it remains popular with the American people because of the benefits it provides.
11/10/20
"Beginning today, Americans can go to www.HealthCare.gov to explore their options for affordable health care coverage for 2021. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, anyone can log on, compare plans, check premium costs, and sign up for coverage.
11/1/20
American voters face a decision this election season between starkly different policies on nearly every issue. But, on one issue in particular, that choice could not be more stark. When it comes to ensuring access to affordable health care, voters are being asked to select between those who wish to protect and expand that access and those who want to dismantle it.
10/26/20
This morning, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee took the unprecedented action of advancing the confirmation of President Trump’s controversial Supreme Court nominee just days before an election he is likely to lose and in which their own Senate majority is at risk. t.
10/22/20
With two weeks left before Election Day and millions of Americans already casting their ballots, President Donald Trump still has not indicated what his policy agenda would be for a second term.
10/21/20
I thank my friend, the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee [Frank Pallone], and Mr. [Greg] Walden, the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, for bringing this bill to the Floor. But most of all, I want to thank my friend, Phil Roe - Dr. Roe – from Tennessee, a medical doctor.
9/29/20
President Trump is doing everything possible to hide the fact that his Administration and Republicans in Congress are trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act and end protections for those with pre-existing conditions. 
9/24/20
Madam Speaker, this week, Democrats are coming to the Floor to highlight the work we have been doing over the past two years governing for the people – in sharp contrast with the way President Trump and Republicans have failed the people.
 
9/24/20
It is inconceivable that President Trump and Republicans would want to kick more than 23 million Americans off their health coverage and take away protections for those with pre-existing conditions in the middle of a deadly pandemic, yet that is exactly what they have been doing with their lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act.  Thankfully, House Democrats have been defending the Affordable Care Act for as long as Republicans have attempted to dismantle it.  During the first week of our Majority last year, we voted to commit House resources to the defense of the law in court, and since then, we have passed legislation to strengthen the ACA, expand access to affordable health care, and bring down costs. Tonight, we took action once more and adopted an amendment introduced by Rep. Lauren Underwood to block the Trump Administration from using taxpayer funds to prosecute the case against affordable health care access.
 
7/30/20
As we celebrate fifty-five years since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid, we do so at a moment when making affordable health care accessible to more Americans is paramount in our thoughts.
7/30/20
Like many others, I was very disappointed to learn of the Supreme Court’s decision this morning upholding President Trump’s rule allowing more employers to opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) mandate guaranteeing contraceptive services at no cost to women for moral or religious reasons.
7/8/20
The Majority Leader’s Office has issued the following report on the stark contrast between both parties when it comes to health care priorities. While Republicans work to sabotage health care during a pandemic, House Democrats are working to lower drug costs and expand coverage.
 
7/1/20
 Yesterday, House Democrats passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, which will benefit over 17 million Americans by expanding coverage and bringing down health care costs. News coverage and blog posts highlighted the stark contrast between House Democrats delivering on our pledge to strengthen and enhance the Affordable Care Act and Republican efforts to strike down the ACA in the courts and eliminate protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions.
6/30/20
Madam Speaker, last week in the middle of the worst pandemic in our lifetimes, the Trump Administration submitted briefs to the Supreme Court in support of a lawsuit by Republican-led states seeking to overturn the law that provides millions of Americans with access to affordable health care.
6/29/20
Today’s ruling is a victory for women’s reproductive freedom in our country, which has been under assault by Republican efforts to limit women’s access to health care by forcing the closure of facilities that provide that care. 
6/29/20