In the most affluent country in the world, every American should have access to quality, affordable health care.  Congresswoman Matsui firmly believes that this is a right that should be afforded to every American, particularly children, and strongly supports expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  She supports investments into Medicare and Medicaid, and opposes cuts to these critical services.

Congresswoman Matsui believes that by providing quality health care and preventative services to everyone, substantial costs can be avoided down the road as general health improves.  By investing today in the health of all Americans, we can make sure that the next generation of Americans grows up healthier than the last.

Health Care for Children

Congresswoman Matsui is deeply committed to making sure that all children have quality health care.  She has consistently voted to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  The Children’s Health Insurance Program provides health coverage to American children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid, but can not afford private insurance.  SCHIP can bring health coverage to approximately ten million children in need – preserving coverage for all 6.6 million children currently covered by SCHIP, and reaching millions more low-income, uninsured American children in the next five years.

Eighty-six percent of children covered by the SCHIP program are in working families that are unable to obtain or afford private health insurance for their children. The program is crucial for both our children in our country’s rural and urban areas. In rural areas, one in three children has health care coverage through SCHIP or Medicaid. In urban areas, it is one in four. SCHIP has also had a dramatic effect in reducing the number of uninsured minority children. After SCHIP was enacted, the number of uninsured African American children dropped from 20 percent to 12 percent; the number of uninsured Latino children dropped from 30 percent to 21 percent, and the number of uninsured Asian American children dropped from 18 percent to 8 percent. Additionally, health care through SCHIP is cost effective. It costs only $3.34 dollars a day to cover a child under SCHIP, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

National Children's Study

In 2007, Congresswoman Matsui launched a Congressional Working Group to maintain awareness and funding for the National Children's Study.  The Children's Study is the largest longitudinal study ever taken to examine the environmental causes of childhood health risks, including autism, asthma, and diabetes.  By tracking children across the country from birth to the age of 21, the Study is poised to answer some of the most perplexing questions regarding childhood health today.

Click here to visit the Children's Study Working Group website.

Health Care for Seniors

Preserving Medicare is a top priority for Congresswoman Matsui, and has fought to maintain federal funding for this vital service.  She working to prevent the scheduled 10 percent cut to physician payments, and create a path to a better payment system for physicians. Unless Congress acts with updates to reflect the increasing cost of running a medical practice, physicians in Medicare will receive a 10 percent reduction in fees and an estimated 5 percent patient reduction each year.

Medicare benefits for vulnerable populations, strengthening programs that provide financial assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries for premiums, cost-sharing, and prescription drug costs. Enhancing and simplifying eligibility and enrollment in these programs will help more beneficiaries afford health care services without being forced to choose between food and medical care.

For more information about Medicare Part D, click here.

Research and Development

Sacramento is home to some of the country's most cutting-edge medical facilities and research centers.  By maintaining active research projects, including Stem Cell research, the next generation of Americans will grow up healthier than the last.  Research will lead to preventative cures and treatments, saving taxpayers money for years to come.  Congresswoman Matsui believes that federal resources should be utilized for these activities in order to help the more than 100 million Americans suffer from cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, spinal cord injuries and other debilitating diseases and disorders for which embryonic stem cell research holds great promise in finding new and better treatments and cures.