HEALTH CARE: Providing quality, affordable health care
America can’t afford to wait on reform; the need to act is clear and the time to act is now. Access to quality, affordable health care is critically important to the continued economic well-being of America.  Congressman Russ Carnahan has been working to address the needs of the 47 million uninsured Americans, including 770,000 uninsured Missourians, strengthen the Medicare system, and fund cutting-edge research into cures for diseases.

Health care costs are out of control.  Reforming our broken health care system will have substantive impacts beyond individual health. It will strengthen our middle class, help businesses create jobs and remain competitive, rebuild the economy, and put our country on a sound financial footing far into the future.

Congressman Carnahan believes that having 9 million uninsured American children is unacceptable.  During his first two terms in Congress he repeatedly fought to override President George Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and was a leader in early 2009 when Congress extended health care coverage to 11 million children.  He has also led the fight for promising legislation that would advance critical stem cell research guided by strict ethical guidelines.  Such research holds the promise of cures for many families suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, Diabetes, and Parkinson's.

Doctors and their patients should make personal and life-altering medical decisions.  Congressman Carnahan is working to reform national health care policies and to extend coverage to those in need while enabling those satisfied with their current coverage to keep it as it is.  He understands that access to basic health care and affordable prescription drugs for every American is a fiscally and socially responsible policy.