Too many Americans- men, women, and children- lack access to affordable and accessible health insurance.  Rep. Frelinghuysen is committed to working with members across the aisle to find health care solutions that work for all Americans.

The Congressman has met with citizens, nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals who repeatedly ask for choices in their medical coverage.  A “one-size-fits-all” program, run from Washington, simply won’t work for the people of New Jersey.  Rep. Frelinghuysen has voted to expand health care coverage and build on the strengths of our privately run system.

The Congressman has voted five times for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHP).  These plans allow similar businesses and groups to band together to purchase health insurance.  In doing so, small businesses are able to pay a reduced rate and allow their employees access to health care.

Rep. Frelinghuysen also supported the creation of Health Savings Accounts (HSA).  HSAs allow people to save, tax free, for future health care costs.

With Rep. Frelinghuysen’s active support, Congress enacted the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act in 2003.  The passage of the bill was an historic step in health coverage as 38 million older Americans were given access to prescription drug coverage for the first time and 650,000 in New Jersey.

In 1997, Rep. Frelinghuysen supported the creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  The legislation provides health insurance to children and families whose income is too high for Medicaid coverage and too little to afford private insurance.

Rep. Frelinghuysen has also been an advocate for fairer treatment of mental illness, drug, and alcohol abuse.  He was a co-sponsor of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which became law in October of 2008.  This landmark legislation requires group health plans to cover treatment of mental illness, drug, or alcohol abuse equally to medical and surgical benefits.

For the past several years, Rep. Frelinghuysen has been a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act.  He remains committed to protecting cancer patients and helping them receive the highest level of care possible. This includes increasing the federal role in research that will help find treatments and, ultimately, cures for cancers and all diseases.  In New Jersey, he works closely with groups like the Kaleidoscope of Hope to support cancer research.  He also supports the work done at the Carol Simon Cancer Center, New Jersey Cancer Institute, and Somerset Medical Center.

Rep. Frelinghuysen also knows we must do more to stop preventable illnesses.  Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death in America and thousands of children have their first cigarette every day. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which Rep. Frelinghuysen is and has been a cosponsor of, will give FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products in order to keep tobacco manufacturers from enticing young people to smoke and to assist current smokers in quitting.

For more information on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the research they are conducting that will help find treatments and, ultimately, cures for all diseases, please visit: www.nih.gov.

Additionally, for further information on cancer resources in New Jersey, please visit the Cancer Institute of New Jersey’s website at www.cinj.org. 

In New Jersey, Rep. Frelinghuysen works to provide greater access to health care services and information.