Health Care

Rising health costs are concerning to all of us.  Across the nation, more than 47 million Americans lack health insurance and many who have some form of insurance are underinsured.  As a member of the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Matheson is examining proposals that increase health insurance coverage and opportunities for the uninsured.  He has also been working to reform health care through tax credits for individuals and employers to purchase health insurance; utilization and expansion of existing government programs like the community health center program and federal health insurance programs; increased opportunities for small businesses to pool together to provide insurance for employees; and options for states to address health care needs.

Health Insurance Reform policy is now the law.  However, for me, it is really only one step towards the fundamental reforms that our health care system requires. Read more.

If you are looking for the House Health Care Reform Bill – H.R. 3962—that was released 10-29-09, click here

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – Frequently Asked Questions from States(pdf)

Emergency Health Care for Kids
Children who are injured in accidents are not simply “little adults”.  When every second counts, the emergency response must be geared to their special needs.  A unique federal program –the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC)—has resulted in a 40 percent decrease in child injury death rates since 1984.  The EMSC program allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states or schools of medicine to support projects to expand and improve emergency medical services for children needing trauma or critical care.  Research resulting from the program has helped establish pediatric emergency medicine as its own specialty.  There are over 30 million child and teen visits annually to the nation’s emergency rooms.  Proper training, personnel and equipment is saving lives and is helping cut down on long term complications.  The House has passed Matheson’s legislation--The Wakefield Act—HR 2462—to renew this vital program.

 

Children’s Health Insurance
As a member of the Health Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Matheson has worked to protect the State Children’s’ Health Insurance Program and to expand it so that it can cover all eligible Utah children.  Congressman Matheson understands that Children who have health insurance—and thus, improved access to care—have a better quality of life. Children who get good preventative health care will be healthier, happier, do better in school, and be more productive members of our society. 


Providing health insurance for kids is also cost-effective. Preventing illness or treating it at the doctor’s office is more economical than waiting until kids arrive at the emergency room.  Money spent on children’s health at the front end saves money in the long run—money not needed for Medicare costs from future illness, or for disability and loss of productivity in the workforce. For these reasons Congressman Matheson continues to fight to make sure SCHIP gets the funding from Congress that it needs.