Fighting For Affordable Health Care

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Making Health Care More Accessible and Affordable

Proud co-sponsor of the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Act

• The bill would provide a tax credit to small employers to help offset the cost of health coverage.
  
• The bill would also: provide more stable and affordable premiums through rating reforms; provide administrative cost savings; give employers and employees an easier way to find coverage; and, offer small business expanded choice with new insurance options.
  
• It has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the National Association of Realtors.

Protecting Seniors and Doctors From Devastating Medicare Cuts

Proud supporter of Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act

• This bill ensures seniors have continued access to the doctors they know and trust – by preventing pending Medicare payment cut for physicians. The bill eliminated a pending 10 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians for the remainder of 2008 and provides a 1.1 percent increase in Medicare physician payments for 2009.
  
• It also ensures active-duty military personnel and military retirees have access to doctors they know.
  
• This critical bill is supported by more than 150 organizations, including the American Medical Association, AARP, Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, National Council on Aging, American Legion, National Rural Health Association, Mental Health America, and National Association of Chain Drug Stores.

Working with local hospitals to provide the best care possible

St. Luke’s Hospital

• Congressman Murphy secured $406,767 for St Luke’s Hospital in Quakertown for upgrading patient rooms with the most modern medical systems and equipment.

St. Mary’s Medical Center

• The Congressman fought for $95,305 for St Mary Medical Center in Langhorne to increase patient capacity by 25% in one of the most heavily populated areas of Bucks County.

Promoting the Latest Medical Technology

Proud co-sponsor of the Healthy Personalized Health Information Act of 2007

• It is estimated that we could save nearly $80 billion annually by investing in electronic medical records.
  
• This bill would provide financial incentives for Medicare and other health care providers to use interactive qualifying personal health records.
  
• Patients would have access to and control over their health data, and it would create a more complete data set of each patient’s history. Personal web-based health records would be controlled solely by the patient and would be secure.

Ensuring that ALL Children Have Access to Affordable Health Care

Fighting to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

• This bipartisan bill renews and improves CHIP, providing health care coverage for 10 million children – preserving coverage for 6 million children currently covered by CHIP and extending coverage to nearly 4 million uninsured children.
  
• This bipartisan bill is supported by 67 Senators, including 18 Republicans; 43 Governors, including 16 Republicans; and, more than 270 organizations, including AARP, American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, PhRMA and Families USA.
  
• Despite strong bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress, President Bush vetoed the bill. Congressman Murphy is committed to working with Democrats and Republicans to ensure a comprehensive Children’s Health Insurance Program bill is passed.

Proud co-sponsor of the Protecting Children’s Health Coverage Act of 2008

• In August of 2007, the Bush administration issued a directive that would impose new barriers on states and prevent them from helping working families secure affordable health coverage for their uninsured children during the current economic downturn.
  
• This misguided regulation would take a particular toll on higher costs areas like Pennsylvania that are trying to expand their coverage for hard working families.
  
• Congressman Murphy was proud to join a bipartisan effort to halt the misguided directive.

Expanding Research and Finding Cures

Increase funding for embryonic stem cell research

• Congressman Murphy is proud that one of his first votes was to expand research on embryonic stem cell research. This research holds promise for more than 100 million Americans who suffer from cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries and other debilitating diseases.

Increase Funding for the National Institute of Health

• Medical research at the National Institutes of Health offers hope to millions of American families—with groundbreaking research into diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Congressman Murphy joined a bipartisan group of representatives to urge an increase of 6.7% increase over the next three years.

Recipient of ACE Award (Actions, Commitment and Effort in ongoing fight to eradicate breast cancer)

• As the son of a breast cancer survivor, Congressman Murphy strongly believes that the federal government needs to take an active role in helping research and fight this horrible disease.
  
• Congressman was part of a bipartisan effort that fought to increase funding for the Breast Cancer Research Program in FY08 by $10.5 million.
  
• Congressman Murphy is a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act which would develop a national strategy to study the links between breast cancer and the environment.

Promoting Wellness and Healthy Lifestyles

Proud co-sponsor of the Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention America (HELP) Act

• This bill seeks to reorient the nation’s health care system towards prevention, wellness and selfcare. It addresses childhood obesity, healthy school nutrition, and environmental incentives and seeks to eliminate unhealthy behaviors that are so prevalent among today’s youth.

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