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.
A new poll by United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection shows Americans continue to agree with Democrats and believe Congress should be focused on creating jobs rather than Republicans’ continued obsession with undermining the Affordable Care Act:
“This Sunday marks World AIDS Day, when we recommit ourselves to combating HIV-AIDS in America and across the world. While great strides have been made to prevent the spread of this disease and treat those who are infected, we must continue the fight as long as HIV-AIDS continues to affect communities and endanger lives.
“Today’s report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is further evidence that the Affordable Care Act continues to provide access to quality, affordable health care to Americans, including millions of seniors who are saving money on their prescription drugs.
“Our policy is that Iran should not have a nuclear arms capability. That continues to be our policy and the military option, as Secretary Kerry just said, is still on the table and it needs to be on the table.
Wanted to make sure you all saw today’s scathing editorial in the New York Times lambasting House Republicans’ latest excuse to have no legislative agenda:
According to the latest United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection poll, Americans continue to oppose House Republicans’ continued attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
I’m disappointed that this week, House Republicans continued to waste time by voting for the 46th time to undermine the Affordable Care Act, which is already providing important patient protections to millions of Americans. Democrats have always said that would work to improve health reform to ensure it works for everyone, and the President has taken positive steps to allow insurers to continue offering plans
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill, which will undermine the providing of health care at affordable prices for millions and millions and millions of Americans.
“Thank you very much, Madam Leader, and Chairman Becerra, thank you, and Jim Clyburn, our Assistant Leader. First let me say the Democratic Caucus is almost unanimous in the belief that the Affordable Care Act is good for our country, good for our people, that it will make affordable, quality health care available to all Americans. That is the substance of what we're talking about.
The data released this afternoon by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that there is a clear interest and demand for affordable, quality health care coverage.