Health Care
On March 23rd, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, providing coverage to 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, allowing students to stay on their parents' plans a little longer, saving senior citizens money by addressing the donut hole in Medicare, providing tax credits for working families and small businesses, and guaranteeing that women pay the same as men for health insurance. The law has already put money back in the pockets of millions of Americans, including the 190,000 residents of Minnesota's 8th District - some 39,000 children and 137,000 seniors - who are now eligible for health insurance or Medicare without co-pay, coinsurance, or deductible.
The Affordable Care Act is an important first step, not the last, in our nation's quest for providing Americans with the assurance, security, and the peace of mind that accompanies quality, low-cost health care.
Affordable Care Act Fix
With that in mind, I have offered a bipartisan, common-sense solution to fix a burdensome cost associated with the Affordable Care Act - a bill I authored called the Health Care Fairness and Flexibility Act (H.R.4735). Introduced in June with Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), it would implement a 3-year delay in the ACA's "transitional reinsurance program" that would force additional costs onto working families - up to $252 in 2014 for a family of four - and subjected employers who self-insure to expensive insurance fees. This program was designed to steady the cost of health care premiums for individuals in the exchanges, funded by charging all insurers a flat fee, even though the employees of self-insuring companies - including unions and many large businesses - don't benefit from this program. Our bill addresses this problem by delaying the fee, without delaying the program itself, giving employers more flexibility and time to comply with the law, and putting money back in the pockets of hardworking middle-class families.
Read about the Health Care Fairness and Flexibility Act, my bipartisan fix to the Affordable Care Act, here.
More on Health Care
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Congressman Rick Nolan today announced a total of $1,076,978 in grants from the Department of Health and Human Services for clinics, health centers, and family services in Grand Marais, Duluth, Cook, and Bemidji.
“These health and family service facilities are crucial to supporting our rural communities in Northeastern Minnesota,” Nolan said. “This funding will improve access to quality care in rural areas and promote wellness in the region.”
Recipients
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative John Kline led Minnesota’s congressional delegation in calling on the U.S. Army to ensure that the Minnesota National Guard can fully assist victims of sexual assault. The Army recently released a directive expanding important legal services to certain victims of military sexual assault, but the directive fails to cover Guard members who become victims of sexual assault outside of their drill weekend or military duty.
Citing a need to “fix what needs fixing,” U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Crosby, joined a Republican counterpart in trying to delay an Affordable Care Act provision that’s unpopular with business and labor.
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] –U.S Reps. Rick Nolan (D-MN-08) and David B. McKinley (R-WV-01) announced today new bipartisan legislation to save middle-class working families money by fixing a burdensome cost associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The bipartisan Health Care Fairness and Flexibility Act (H.R.4735) implements a 3-year delay in the ACA’s “transitional reinsurance program” that would have forced additional costs onto working families – up to $252 this year for a family of four – and subjected employers who self-insure to expensive insurance fees.
An Affordable Care Act fix to provide relief to self-funded businesses and multi-employer health plans by delaying the collection of a significant health care fee for 3 years.
Background
Congress has an opportunity to protect seniors' pensions and keep our promise to America's Greatest Generation.
Instead of passing a jobs bill, a budget solution, or reforming tax and trade policies that send American jobs overseas, House Republicans last week launched their 38th effort to repeal health care reform – this time by delaying it for a year.
I voted no. Americans have waited long enough for a decent measure of health care security. Truth is, the Affordable Care Act is the first step – not the last step – in our nation’s quest for quality affordable health care.
Meanwhile, this purely political bill would: