I work closely with the hospitals, doctors, nurses and other health care providers in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties to make sure I support the policies that are the best for the families of Pennsylvania’s 8th District. With costs for families skyrocketing, I believe that we need broad reform of our nation’s health care system.
Ensuring that All Children Have Access to Quality, Affordable Health Care
Introduced Legislation to Ensure that Low-Income Children Have Access to Health Care
Congressman Patrick Murphy worked across the aisle with Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA) to introduce legislation that ensures access to health care for low-income children across the country.
H.R. 2496, the Children's Health Insurance Accessibility Act, eliminates unnecessary administrative barriers that currently block thousands of low-income children from enrolling in CHIP coverage. It exempts groups of children from CHIP waiting periods, which require that children remain uninsured for a certain period of time prior to being eligible for enrollment. Those exempted from the waiting period include children who are otherwise eligible for CHIP coverage and whose parent lost health care coverage because of a layoff, children under the age of two, and children in families whose medical costs consume a large portion of their income.
Proud Supporter of Legislation to Expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
This bipartisan bill, signed into law by President Obama on February 4th 2009, renews and improves Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It provides health care and dental coverage for 11 million children – preserving coverage for 7 million children currently covered by CHIP and extending coverage to nearly 4 million uninsured children.
The bill was supported by 290 Representatives, 66 Senators – including 9 Republicans, and more than 270 organizations, including AARP, American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, PhRMA and Families USA.
This bill (H.R. 1619) would prohibit health insurance companies and employers from denying coverage to children because of pre-existing conditions.
Approximately 20% of school-aged children suffer from a chronic illness, putting them at risk of being denied coverage by insurance companies on the basis of having a pre-existing condition.
Without medical coverage, children are likely to forgo badly needed care – making early identification of medical conditions, timely treatment of illness, and adequate management of chronic diseases nearly impossible.
Protecting Medicare
Supporter of Efforts to Prevent Medicare Payment Cuts to Physicians
Congressman Murphy requested that House leadership take action to ensure seniors have continued access to the doctors they know and trust by preventing a pending 21.5% Medicare payment cut for physicians in 2010.
These efforts are 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.
Congressman Murphy is a longtime advocate of the ethical use of embryonic stem cell research and the promise it holds for the more than 100 million Americans who suffer from cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries and other debilitating diseases.
This bill (H.R. 873) would allow for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. While President Obama signed an executive order in January 2009 allowing for this research, Congressman Murphy believes it is important to codify the President’s actions and ensure that all research adheres to strict ethical standards.
Increase Funding for the National Institute of Health
Stagnant funding for the NIH over the past five years has stifled the ability of our research facilities and academic institutions to conduct the medical investigations that could cure diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Congressman Murphy voted in favor of the Congressional budget resolution for FY 2010, which supports President Obama’s priority of increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to $6 billion.
Promoting the Education and Retention of Critically Needed Health Care Providers
Our nation currently faces a shortage of over 200,000 registered nurses, the root cause of which is the growing faculty shortage at U.S. nursing schools. As many as one out of three qualified applicants is turned away from nursing programs due to the lack of qualified faculty to train them.
This bill would allow for student loan repayment for graduating nurses who commit to serving as full-time faculty at a nursing school. This incentive is necessary and important, given that nurse educators earn an average of 20% less than their counterparts in clinical practice.
Congressman Murphy believes we need to ensure that the inability to repay medical loan debt does not drive badly needed, promising young health care providers away from the industry.
This bill (H.R. 1615) would rescind recent changes to the laws governing the repayment of medical school loans, allowing graduating medical students and eligible residents who cannot repay their loans to defer payment if they are employed full-time and their federal education debt burden represents a certain portion of their income.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in our country. This year alone, more than 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with this disease and almost as many will succumb to it within months. Congressman Murphy believes that it’s time to meet this disease head-on and fight back.
This bill (H.R. 745) will establish a national Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to provide a greater focus on pancreatic cancer and give the National Cancer Institute the tools it needs to make earlier diagnoses, provide treatment options, and one day prevent this devastating disease.
Proud Co-sponsor of Legislation to Support Research and Early Detection of Breast Cancer
As the son of a breast cancer survivor, Congressman Murphy believes strongly that the federal government needs to take an active role in helping research and fight this devastating disease.
Congressman Murphy is a proud co-sponsor of H.R. 995, the Mammogram and MRI Availability Act, which would require insurance companies that pay for diagnostic mammograms and breast MRIs to also pay for annual screening mammograms for women ages 40 and over, and annual screening breast MRIs for high-risk women, as well.
Providing Incentives for Hospitals and Medical Providers to Adopt Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)
Using a digitized system of medical records will improve patient outcomes and result in an estimated $80 billion in annual cost-savings, thanks to fewer medical errors and reduced re-hospitalization rates.
EMRs will also improve the quality of health care by allowing a single patient’s doctors to communicate with each other and provide cohesive, coordinated care.
Congressman Murphy supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provided $19 billion in financial incentives for health care providers to adopt certified electronic medical records by 2011.
Working with Local Hospitals to Provide the Best Possible Care
Grandview Hospital
Congressman Murphy helped secure $95,000 for Grandview Hospital's Electronic Medical Records System.
Doylestown Hospital
Congressman Murphy secured $95,000 for Doylestown Hospital's Clinical Network, a community-based electronic medical record exchange. This project is unique in that it creates a partnership between a community hospital and independent physician practices, many of which operate in competition with each other.
Promoting Wellness and Health Lifestyles
Congressman Murphy supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which included a $1 billion investment in a Prevention and Wellness Fund. This portion of the recovery package acknowledges that our health care system needs to place much greater emphasis on prevention, wellness, and self-care efforts.
The Prevention and Wellness Fund addresses the prevention of chronic diseases, improves and expands immunization programs, and promotes evidence-based clinical prevention and wellness strategies.
Issues & Legislation 
