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.
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.
This rule is a distraction meant to obscure Republicans’ complete failure to develop a workable plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.
Today's announcement by Humana that it will exit the health insurance marketplaces nationwide in 2018 is alarming because it demonstrates that the market uncertainty being created by Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act has a real-world impact on American consumers.
Today’s Republican quote of the day comes from Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). When asked what would happen to a constituent if the GOP moves ahead with their efforts to Make America Sick Again, he confirmed that Republicans still don’t have a real plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. From the New York Times:
Over the weekend, House Republicans continued to avoid their constituents who oppose GOP efforts to repeal the ACA without having a real plan to replace it.
Roll Call reports Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) refuses to hold a town hall meeting to hear from constituents:
Thank you [Rep.] Carolyn Maloney for your continued leadership. I am so pleased to be here with Carolyn Maloney from the state of New York, who has been a champion.
I continue to be deeply concerned that President Trump is taking steps that make America less safe.
Things aren't going so well for Republicans back in their districts. Last night, Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Justin Amash (R-MI), and Diane Black (R-TN) arrived at town halls with hundreds of voters demanding answers on President Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim ban, GOP efforts to #MakeAmericaSickAgain, and more.
Politico reports on the vocal opposition Chaffetz faced:
Republicans are doing everything they can to duck constituents on their plan to Make America Sick Again. The latest examples? Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) is now requiring constituents to make appointments to visit his office. Just two days earlier, Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) turned down town hall invitations from voters. Members have a responsibility to hear out their constituents - even the ones they disagree with.
Afraid of the number of people who will show up, voicing their support of the Affordable Care Act? Just plug your ears. This is the newest play from the Republican handbook in their effort to Make America Sick Again. From Roll Call:
I want to thank Nancy Pelosi, who was in fact the leader in the adoption of the Affordable Care Act. Those of us who know her and worked with her, she was the Speaker, I was the Majority Leader.