Health Care

Reforming America’s Health Care System

Congressman Sarbanes is a strong advocate for reforming our nation’s health care system. He has introduced and supported several bills that will expand affordable health coverage and improve the quality of care for all Americans. To this end, the Congressman supports the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act because he believes it is a crucial step in our effort to reduce the cost of health care for families and small businesses, as well as to provide access for those who currently do not have insurance.

Health care reform is already providing lower costs and better health coverage for millions of Americans, including more than 100 million individuals who have received free preventive services, such as check-ups and cancer screenings; millions of seniors in the "donut hole" who have saved billions of dollars on their prescription drugs; and hundreds of thousands of small business owners who have used the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to help them afford health insurance for employees.

Health care reform marks a new direction for the country – away from the influence of powerful special interests and toward common sense solutions for America families. This landmark reform effort also provides deficit savings of more than $1 trillion over the next two decades.

These are just a few examples of how health care reform is providing many Americans with access to affordable, quality health care. Please see below for more detailed explanations of the positive impact that health care reform is having on our country.

Reining in Insurance Industry Abuses

• Insurance companies can no longer deny care to people with pre-existing conditions.

• Insurance companies can no longer impose lifetime limits on coverage or caps on out-of-pocket costs.

• Insurance companies can no longer cancel your coverage when you get sick and need it most.

Enhancing Benefit Opportunities

• Preventive care services – such as mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and new baby care – are now covered with no out-of-pocket costs, and insurance companies are prohibited from charging deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance for these services.

• Young adults are now allowed to remain on their parent's plan until their 26th birthday, unless they are offered coverage at work. 

• Seniors pay lower costs for prescription drugs.

• Insurance companies are now required to spend at least 80 percent of collected premiums on medical services and quality improvements, rather than expenses that do not directly benefit policyholders, such as salaries, advertising, overhead and profits. Insurers must also publish justifications for any premium increases over 10 percent, and outside experts will evaluate whether the increases are justified. 

To learn more about health care reform, visit: http://www.healthcare.gov. For new health care resources available to small businesses, visit: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Affordable-Care-Act-Tax-Provisions.

Improving America’s Health Care Workforce

One of Congressman Sarbanes’ top priorities during the debate on health care reform was to address workforce shortages, particular those for primary care physicians.

He worked to include several provisions in the new law that will help to alleviate some of these shortages:

• Additional scholarships and loan repayment programs for primary care providers in shortage areas;

• Strengthened grant programs for primary care training;

• A 10 percent bonus under Medicare for primary care services; and

• Redistribution of unused residency slots to medical programs that train more primary care physicians and general surgeons.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also establishes a new advisory commission that will help align our health care workforce with the needs of the greater population – now and in the future.

To further address the country’s shortage of primary care physicians, Congressman Sarbanes introduced H.R. 5498, the Primary Care Physician Reentry Act, which will help combat America’s shortage of primary care physicians by encouraging mid-career and retired or retiring physicians to return to practice. The legislation would provide training and financial assistance to physicians returning to medical practice in exchange for their service at community health centers, Veterans Administration medical centers or school-based health centers.