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.
“I am very disappointed that the Republican Majority has chosen today to hold the 48th vote to undermine or repeal the Affordable Care Act, especially while continuing to ignore a long list of legislative items dealing with our immediate challenges.
“If, in fact, we want to help the 1.3 million people who on December 28 lost their, in efect, safety net to keep food on their table and their family intact, then [Republicans need to] offer it.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
Last month, 1.3 million Americans lost access to emergency unemployment insurance, an important program helping struggling families – including 20,000 military veterans – as they continue to search for work. While our economy is improving, too many Americans are still searching for a job and without Congressional action, an additional 72,000 Americans will lose their unemployment benefits each week. The top priorit
“In the first week of the new session, it is very disappointing that House Republicans have continued to waste time on legislation to undermine the Affordable Care Act.
“Today, millions of Americans are beginning the new year with the security that comes from having access to quality, affordable health care.
"The Affordable Care Act is providing Americans greater access to quality, affordable health care and important patient protections.
“Thanks to new standards established under the Affordable Care Act, Americans are receiving better value from their premium dollars, and insurance companies who fail to meet these new standards must send consumers a rebate.
Number of Bills Signed into Law:
Of the Bills Signed into Law in 2013:
House Republicans want Americans to believe they are interested in adequately funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but their record tells a different story.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
The House is scheduled to meet for only five more days this year, and I'm disappointed that House Republican leaders appear ready to head home without finishing our work on a long list of critical legislation.