Health Care

Few challenges we face are as complex and consequential as fixing our health care system. We spend more money on health care than any other nation, yet we do not spend it wisely. Despite spending trillions each year – about $7,000 per person – two recent reports ranked the U.S. health care system last among industrialized nations for quality, access and efficiency. One in every five of my constituents is uninsured. We must do better.

Reforming our health care system is not only the right thing to do, it also makes economic sense. Unsustainable health care costs represent the single largest threat to American prosperity, draining our federal budget and jeopardizing the financial security of families across the country.

We need an American solution that will make health insurance more affordable for those who have it and provide affordable, quality health security to those who do not. I am committed to reform that:

• Lowers costs by capping yearly out-of-pocket expenses and eliminates co-pays and deductibles for preventative care such as regular checkups and tests that help prevent illness, including mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics;
• Provides stability and peace of mind by ensuring that insurance companies cannot refuse coverage because of a patient’s pre-existing condition or medical history; cannot drop or refuse coverage for those who become seriously ill; cannot charge people more because of their gender; and cannot place annual or lifetime caps on coverage;
• Puts you and your doctor in control of your health care decisions, while making sure you can keep your doctor and your health plan if you like it, and;
• Provides great choices in coverage, including allowing you to cover your children under family plans through the age of 26.

As we move forward, we must also work to protect and strengthen Medicare and close the gap in prescription drug benefit coverage, often referred to as the “doughnut hole,” that threatens the well-being of millions of seniors. We must also protect small businesses and stop health care related bankruptcies, which are slowing our economic recovery and endangering the welfare of millions of American families.

My colleagues and I are committed to passing meaningful reform now that fully addresses the health care crisis facing our nation.