Over the past few years, Congressman Mitchell has spoken to doctors, hospitals, insurers, patients, and tens of thousands of passionate and concerned Arizonans about health care.  Through these conversations, it has become clear that we cannot sustain the path we are on.  Health care costs are rising rapidly, burdening Arizona families, hurting our economy and slowing our recovery.

Congressman Mitchell supported health care reform legislation to help families with insurance that have been discriminated against for pre-existing conditions, to provide much needed assistance for small businesses that have no had access to affordable health insurance coverage, and for seniors who have struggled to afford prescription drugs because they have fallen into the donut hole.

For more information on the health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including resources on how this law is being implemented, Frequently Asked Questions, Fact Checks, or to view this law, please view the Health Insurance Reform resource page.

In addition to supporting reform for quality and affordable heath care that gives consumers choices, Representative Mitchell has worked to ensure that we are strengthening Medicare for our seniors, ensuring health care for our children and investing in research for serious chronic or terminal diseases.

As a father, grandfather, and former teacher, Congressman Mitchell believes that it is critical to ensure that all children have access to high-quality and affordable health care.  He helped pass a bill to expand health insurance coverage for low-income children provided by the State Children's Health Care Program (SCHIP).  The bill expanded coverage to 99,000 children in our state through KidsCare, Arizona's CHIP program.

Congressman Mitchell believes it is crucial to strengthen Medicare for the 800,000 seniors it serves in Arizona.  He voted for a bill to prevent physicians who treat Medicare patients from receiving a 21 percent cut in reimbursements which would have caused many doctors to limit or stop seeing new Medicare patients.  He also supports permanent reform of the Medicare physician reimbursement formula.

Congressman Mitchell also supports strengthening Medicare for seniors by providing better benefits and lower costs.  He supported health care reform which will preserve Medicare's solvency by extending the Medicare trust fund for 12 years.  This law will also provide seniors with access to more affordable prescription drugs by closing the prescription drug donut hole.  Additionally, this law will allow seniors to have access to preventative services free of charge, which means no out of pocket expenses for diabetes, cancer, or osteoporosis screenings.

Congressman Mitchell also supports invesments in scientific research.  New cures and treatments will save lives, be more effective and be more affordable for Arizonans who are fighting chronic illnesses.  In his first term, Congressman Mitchell voted to significantly increase the resources available for vital research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and voted to authorize the use of stem cells, which would otherwise be discarded, for the purpose of scientific research.