Health Care
It is our responsibility to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care. I am committed to strengthening our nation’s health care system by incentivizing high-quality patient care, reducing costs for small business, and expanding access for our most vulnerable populations. I am alarmed by the rising cost of health care for Washington’s families, and I believe we need to stop this trend by supporting preventive health services, promoting efficiencies in health care delivery, and keeping private insurance companies from using consumer premiums to turn a profit.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), other government agencies, and exceptional research institutions in Washington make valuable contributions to the health of our country. Continued investment in their research is essential.
Washington state is moving quickly to implement the Affordable Care Act, including the creation of an insurance exchange. As a result of this new law, a number of substantial health care reforms have been implemented that protect consumers, improve care, and reduce costs. I am pleased that insurance companies are now prohibited from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, and that young adults can now stay on their parents’ health plans until they turn 26 years old. However, there is still work to be done and I will continue to be a strong advocate for increasing access to health care as we work to build on the previous reforms.
I also firmly believe that medical decisions should be made between a patient and his or her doctor—not by politicians. Continuing attacks on women’s health care are unacceptable, and I will be an ongoing proponent for access to contraceptives and reproductive health services.
More on Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene led a group of more than 100 House colleagues in urging Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to fully restore funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to its pre-sequester level, adjusted for inflation, when the current continuing resolution expires on December 11, 2014. The letter was co-led by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, and is supported by a broad array of research advocacy organizations and biomedical research institutions.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene joined her colleagues in the House Pro-Choice Caucus in introducing legislation today that would prohibit for-profit employers from using religious beliefs to deny employees coverage of contraception or any other vital health services required by federal law. The bill responds to the Supreme Court’s decision last week in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Mark Udall (D-CO) are introducing companion legislation in the Senate.
WASHINGTON, DC – Joining 15 of her colleagues, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene cosponsored legislation to help families access tax credits in the Affordable Care Act to ensure they get the most affordable coverage possible. Called the Family Coverage Act, the bill would fix what is known as the “family glitch” by clarifying ACA rules so individuals who are offered health coverage by their employers, but whose plans are not affordable to cover their family, can access tax credits to help pay their premiums.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene introduced legislation that expands tax credits for small businesses to make offering health coverage to their workers more affordable. Her bill is the companion to legislation introduced last week by Senator Mark Begich from Alaska. Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-3) and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) are also original cosponsors of the House bill.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene gave the following remarks today on the floor of the House of Representatives to voice her opposition to HR 7, which would make sweeping restrictions on women’s health options across the country. The full text of DelBene’s speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:
DelBene, Pingree and Kind’s RIDE Act to Ensure Low-Income Seniors Have Rides to Their Medical Visits
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced legislation to ensure low-income seniors living in rural areas across the country can continue to get rides to and from their doctor’s appointments. The bill, called the Recruiting Individuals to Drive Our Elders (RIDE) Act, would help bolster volunteer driver programs that are administered by state Medicaid agencies to provide cost-effective transportation for Medicaid beneficiaries.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the five women who sit on the House Judiciary Committee, Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Karen Bass (D-CA) sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chair Bob Goodlatte denouncing his decision to hold the first mark-up of 2014 on a divisive bill to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7) would impose sweeping changes to current law to impede women’s access to abortion coverage nationwide.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement today after voting for legislation that would allow health insurance companies to renew individual market health insurance policies through 2014:
“One of our top priorities must be ensuring that the Affordable Care Act works for Washingtonians, and I’m committed to doing what it takes to make sure that all of my constituents have access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage.
BOTHELL – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement regarding the announcement by the Washington Health Benefit Exchange of an error they discovered in calculating tax credit amounts for residents who applied for health plans:
“Washington state’s health insurance exchange is a major component of helping hundreds of thousands of our state’s residents get access to affordable, quality health coverage. Too many have gone without health coverage for years.
MOUNT VERNON – Today, the boards of Skagit Valley Hospital and Cascade Valley Hospital voted to begin negotiating a partnership with PeaceHealth/UW Medicine. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement:
“Today's decision by Skagit Valley Hospital and Cascade Valley Hospital to move forward with negotiations on a partnership with a larger hospital network will have a significant impact on how Skagit County residents receive their healthcare.