Health Care
114th Congress
- Voted to Repeal ObamaCare. In December 2015, Senator Fischer voted to eliminate the failed ObamaCare law once and for all. The ObamaCare repeal bill passed the Senate by a vote of 52 to 47. The bill eliminates more than $1 trillion in tax increases and would save more than $500 billion in federal spending.
- Demanded Answers for Thousands of Nebraskans Impacted by CoOportunity Health Collapse: Senator Fischer, along with Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requesting that the agency provide suitable answers for how it plans to help individuals with CoOportunity Health plans who have already paid out their deductibles.
- Pushed for ObamaCare Tax Repeal: Senator Fischer became an original cosponsor of The Jobs and Premium Protection Act, which was introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). The bill would repeal the annual tax on health insurance plans that was created under ObamaCare.
- Pressed for Repeal of ObamaCare’s Individual Mandate: Senator Fischer became an original cosponsor of Senator Orrin Hatch’s (R-Utah) American Liberty Restoration Act. The legislation would prohibit ObamaCare’s individual insurance mandate.
- Fought to Restore 40-Hour Work Week: Senator Fischer cosponsored The Forty Hours is Full Time Act, which restores the traditional definition of “full-time employee” to a 40-hour work week under ObamaCare. The bill would restore lost hours and wages for workers and their families, and reduce the law’s financial hardships on businesses, which will allow for greater growth and job creation.
- Cosponsored Bill to Support Nursing Programs: Senator Fischer cosponsored legislation introduced by Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, known as The Making the Education of Nursing Dependable for Schools (MEND) Act. The bill would address a technical issue regarding the way the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services funds hospital-based nursing programs, and ensure that the primary-care workforce is prepared for the growing demand for health services.
113th Congress
- Promoted more family control over health care: Senator Fischer introduced The Healthy Families Act (S. 631), legislation that would enhance government accountability in decisions impacting many families’ health care. Under Obamacare, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is authorized to determine the types of preventive service coverage private insurers must offer without imposing cost-sharing – such as copayments, deductibles, or co-insurance – on patients. These determinations also strongly influence which preventive services Medicare and Medicaid choose to cover. The Healthy Families Act would check the power granted to this federal task force with increased public involvement and a more transparent process.
- Empowered disabled individuals: Senator Fischer became a cosponsor of the ABLE Act (S.313), a bill that would create tax-free saving accounts for individuals with disabilities to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing, and transportation.
- Protected Americans from fraud: Senator Fischer became an original cosponsor of the Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act (S.1902). The bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disclose to individuals within two business days any breach of a system maintained by an insurance exchange that results in personally identifiable information (PII) being stolen or unlawfully accessed.
- Pressed for a more efficient hospital transfer: Senator Fischer became an original cosponsor of the Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2014 (S. 2037). The bill removes the Medicare condition of payment that requires critical access hospitals (CAHs) to certify that a patient is reasonably expected to be discharged or transferred to another hospital within 96 hours after admission to the CAH.
- Requested an alternative pay system for patients in need: Senator Fischer introduced the Two-Midnight Rule Coordination and Improvement Act of 2014 (S. 2082). The bill would further delay enforcement of CMS’ “two midnight rule” until September 30, 2015 and requests that CMS develop an alternative payment system for inpatient stays that are shorter than two midnights.
- Demanded fair treatment for individuals under Obamacare: Senator Fischer introduced the Freeing Americans from Inequitable Requirements (FAIR) Act (S. 2086). The bill would delay the ObamaCare mandate for individuals whenever the employment mandate is delayed.
- Called for Obamacare State Exchange accountability: Senator Fischer became a cosponsor of the State Exchange Accountability Act (S. 2339). The bill would require states that switch from a state exchange to a federal exchange to payback any grants they received to create their state exchange.
- Dedicated to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s: Senator Fischer became a cosponsor of the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act (S. 2192). The bill requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to submit an annual budget to the President estimating the funding necessary for NIH to meet the goal of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by the year 2025.
- Raised awareness to fight pediatric brain cancer: Senator Fischer offered a resolution, which was adopted unanimously by the United States Senate, designating September 26, 2013, as “National Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day.” The resolution highlights the story of 7-year old Atkinson, Nebraskan, Jack Hoffman, who ran 69 yards to score a touchdown in front of 60,000-plus fans at Memorial Stadium, touching the hearts of millions of Americans and raising awareness of pediatric brain cancer.
