Mark R. Warner
U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia
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On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health reform legislation that was approved by Congress. Healthcare.gov provides many resources on the new health care law. Click here to download fact sheets on what the health reform law will mean for you. |
Senator Warner believes we need comprehensive health care reform to achieve a competitive, cost-effective, and more efficient system. This effort should primarily be focused on ensuring that all Americans have access to adequate health coverage, and the coverage must be affordable and based upon data-driven medical standards. We must ensure that competition remains among health care providers because it is precisely that competition that drives innovation and reduces cost. Senator Warner believes any final reform also should include measures to promote prevention and wellness, help seniors navigate the health system, and expand the use of health information technology and telemedicine.
Senator Warner's Progress:
- On December 24, 2009, Senator Warner voted in favor of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," health reform legislation that was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Click here to read his statement about the vote. He also voted on March 25, 2010, in favor of the reconciliation package, which included a package of "fix-its" to the health reform bill.
- On December 8, 2009, Senator Warner and 10 Freshman colleagues announced a package of health care amendments that would expand and accelerate efforts to encourage innovation and accountability across the health care system – and drive down costs.
- On November 21, 2009, prior to the initial vote to bring the Senate health care bill to the floor for debate, Senator Warner released this statement explaining his vote.
- On September 3, 2009, Senator Warner hosted a town hall meeting in Fredericksburg with over 1800 Virginians, to hear their views on health care reform. You can watch the entire town hall here.
Senator Warner's Speeches:
- Small businesses need health care reform-- Senator Warner discusses how health reform will help small businesses, who are the only ones who pay "retail" for health insurance.
- "Fixing the way we pay for health care" -- Senator Warner discusses ways to improve the way health care is delivered.
- Health reform could drive down costs -- Senator Warner outlines several ways the health care system could be reformed to drive down overall costs, even as access is expanded.
- The cost of inaction -- Senator Warner discusses the high cost of doing nothing, and argued that health reform not only must be paid for -- it also must reduce long-term costs for families and businesses.
Facts & Resources
We have included a number of links to resources and information about the facts and details of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
- The non-partisan, non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation produced a helpful 9-minute cartoon video explaining the basics of the health reform law.
- Facts Sheets on Health Reform: Our office has compiled 11 fact sheets on what the health reform law will mean for you.
- Summary of Health Coverage Provisions: The Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan health policy organization, put together this comprehensive guide to the key health coverage provisions in the health reform law.
- Health Reform Implementation Timeline: The Kaiser Family Foundation also created a timeline that provides implementation dates for key provisions.
- List of Immediate Benefits: Click here to read a listing of some of the immediate benefits that consumers can expect from the health reform law.
- Fact vs. Fiction: Click here to read some of the fact behind the commonly-held misconceptions and disinformation that surrounds the health care reform debate.
Recent News on Health Care
Here is what Senator Warner has been doing recently regarding health reform:
July 2012
- 07/17/12 -Tar WarsSenator Warner met today with Savior Waddell, a rising fifth grader at Danville's Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, to celebrate his winning entry in an anti-smoking poster contest. Savior's entry was called "Hang Tough - Don't Puff."
May 2012
- 05/02/12 -On the Road: Hampton, Newport News, and GloucesterYesterday Senator Warner kicked off a two-day conference between federal agencies and manufacturers at NASA Langley in Hampton. The conference’s focus was advanced composite materials and Hampton Roads’ modeling and simulation infrastructure.
March 2012
- 03/01/12 -Blunt amendment goes way too farAt a time when we should be focused on expanding economic and educational opportunity for everyone and working for genuine fiscal responsibility, some lawmakers in Washington – and also in Richmond – instead prefer to play partisan politics with a woman’s access to health services.
January 2012
- 01/10/12 -On the ground in IndiaThe billion-plus people of India are experiencing phenomenal growth in their middle class, yet millions currently live in poverty in crowded urban slums. That was a focus of Senator Mark Warner’s visit today as he continues to lead a five-member congressional trip to India.
- 01/09/12 -An NBA bounce pass to IndiaYou don’t see this every day: a United States senator and a former NBA player, spreading the gospel of team sports and healthy lifestyles to young people – in New Delhi, India. That’s what Senator Mark Warner and former NBA star Muggsy Bogues did today on the first day of Senator Warner’s week-long congressional visit to try to increase economic and cultural ties between the United States and India.
December 2011
- 12/11/11 -"This is no way to treat a Navy family."Senator Warner met today in Norfolk with about three-dozen military families, top Navy brass and the company hired to manage off-base Navy housing to sort-out complaints about leaky roofs, windows, mold and rats.
- 12/06/11 -Working to help victims of tainted drywall“I’ve been involved in politics and government for 20 years, and I can’t think of a more frustrating issue that I’ve been involved with than this issue with drywall,” Senator Warner said at a Senate hearing on contaminated drywall this morning. Senator Warner, with Florida Senator Bill Nelson had called for the hearing today before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance.
November 2011
- 11/22/11 -The second annual Virginia Women's ConferenceSenator Warner and Old Dominion University hosted Saturday’s second-annual Virginia Women’s Conference, which welcomed about 750 women to Norfolk. “Look, I have an amazing wife and three almost perfect daughters,” Senator Warner said Saturday in his remarks to open the conference. “I know who really runs the show.”
October 2011
- 10/25/11 -On the Road: Hampton Roads Day TwoFor our second campus town hall in as many days, we visited Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Senator Warner emphasized the need for a national competitiveness strategy, and students asked smart questions about the European debt crisis, trade, foreign aid, and how to stay optimistic in tough economic and political times.
- 10/04/11 -Sens. Webb & Warner announce $5M grant to train healthcare workers in SE VirginiaSenators Warner and Jim Webb today announced the award of a $5 million federal grant to a public-private partnership of colleges, universities and hospitals in Hampton Roads and on the Peninsula to provide education, training and job placement assistance in the healthcare field.