Mark R. Warner
U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia
Health Care
Before, during and after the debate over health care reform, Senator Warner consistently said that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was not perfect, but our previous system was unsustainable and would eventually bankrupt our economy. Senator Warner has been at the forefront of fixing problems with the implementation of the ACA to help Virginians secure affordable health care coverage. While there is more work to be done, Senator Warner knows that we cannot go back to a time when insurers denied coverage because of pre-existing health conditions, charged women more than men, or dropped someone's coverage when they got sick. Senator Warner remains committed to working with his colleagues to continue making responsible, bipartisan improvements.
Senator Warner and his staff remain committed to helping constituents and Virginia businesses navigate the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. For information on the newly available resources click here.
Senator Warner’s Progress:
- Senator Warner introduced targeted improvements to the Affordable Care Act to provide Virginia families with additional health coverage choices to best meet their financial and medical needs.
o The Expanded Consumer Choice Act, introduced by Senator Warner and a group of colleagues, would create a new coverage option called the Copper Plan, which would provide a lower-cost, higher-deductible option for consumers, while also including essential health benefits and consumer protections.
o Senator Warner also introduced legislation to direct state insurance commissioners to work together to allow insurers to offer coverage across state boundaries, increasing competition and choice for both consumers and employers.
o Senator Warner knows that the reporting requirements have created an unnecessary burden for Virginia small businesses. He has introduced a proposal to ease reporting requirements to make it easier for employers to report the hours worked by their employees.
- Following the troubled roll-out of the ACA, Senator Warner successfully pushed the Obama administration to allow Virginians to get lower-cost, catastrophic coverage if their existing coverage plans were cancelled.
- Senator Warner successfully led a bipartisan effort to exempt volunteer emergency responders from the healthcare mandate, to allow emergency volunteers to continue to protect Virginia communities.
- Senator Warner joined six Democrats in voting against the 12-month patch to what is known as the Medicare “Doc Fix.” Senator Warner voted against the “patch” because it was a short-sighted solution to a long-term problem within the current Medicare payment system.
- During the debate over health care reform, Senator Warner and 10 colleagues announced the bipartisan “Value and Innovation” health care amendment package to expand and accelerate efforts to encourage innovation and accountability across the health care system – and drive down costs.
- Senator Warner introduced the bipartisan Care Planning Act, which is designed to give people with serious illness the freedom to make more informed choices about their care, and the power to have those choices honored.
Recent News on Health Care
Here is what Senator Warner has been doing recently regarding health reform:
December 2014
- 12/01/14 -Statement of Sen. Warner in support of the nomination of Dr. Vivek Murthy to be U.S. Surgeon General"Dr. Murthy brings an entrepreneurial focus, and he is committed to using technology to expand our outreach on health and wellness in innovative ways. I believe he will make an excellent Surgeon General,” Senator Warner said.
November 2014
- 11/21/14 -Warner, Kaine Introduce Legislation to Reform Black Lung Benefits SystemSens. Warner and Kaine introduced legislation to help level the playing field for miners battling black lung disease, an ailment caused by inhaling coal dust over an extended period of time that can be debilitating and potentially fatal.
October 2014
- 10/24/14 -Sens. Warner, Kaine Urge Federal Ebola Coordinator to Synchronize State and Local Response PlansSens. Warner and Kaine called on the federal Ebola response coordinator to act quickly to synchronize local, state and federal efforts to respond to the Ebola emergency.
- 10/17/14 -Warner, Kaine Request Update on Virginia Hospitals' Ebola Preparedness & Needs from Federal AgenciesSenators Warner and Kaine sent letters to Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Services William Hazel and President and CEO of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association requesting information on what is being done to ensure Virginia hospitals and health professionals have the supplies, training and information they need to effectively identify and treat any patients who present symptoms of Ebola.
- 10/06/14 -Senator Warner Urges Coordinated Action to Combat EbolaLast week, Senator Warner sent a letter to the Administration urging coordinated action to drastically reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus.
September 2014
- 09/16/14 -Sen. Warner Announces Selection of NVTC to Assist V-A With Broken Scheduling SystemSen. Warner announced that the Northern Virginia Technology Council has been selected to examine and propose improvements to the scheduling processes and systems at Department of Veteran’s Affairs medical facilities, at no cost to taxpayers.
- 09/04/14 -Virginia, Maryland Senators Praise OPM's Decision to Allow Federal Employees to Carryover Flexible Spending Account FundsSenators Warner, Kaine (D-Va.), Cardin (D-Md.), and Mikulski (D-Md.), applauded the recent OPM decision to allow federal employees to carryover up to $500 in unspent Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds from one year to the next.
August 2014
- 08/20/14 -NBC12: Sen. Warner speaks candidly about problems at McGuire VA Medical CenterOn Tuesday, Senator Mark Warner met with leadership at the McGuire VA Medical Center to talk about ongoing issues involving healthcare for veterans.
- 08/07/14 -President Signs V-A Overhaul Legislation Which Includes Sen. Warner's Technology InitiativeThe V-A reform legislation includes U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner’s (D-VA) initiative to enlist the pro bono assistance of private sector technology experts to help fix the V-A’s broken scheduling system.
July 2014
- 07/16/14 -Sen. Mark Warner Statement on Vote to Reverse Hobby Lobby Decision“Virginia’s women have a right to make their own decisions about contraception without their bosses interfering. I’m proud to have cosponsored and voted today in support of legislation to undo the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision and restore the right of women to access basic health care."
