Health Care
Health Care Reform
On March 21, 2010, Rep. Israel voted in favor of comprehensive health care reform legislation. The legislation was passed in the Senate and signed into law by President Obama. Click here to read the bill.
As a result of the health care reform law, constituents in New York’s Second Congressional District on Long Island will benefit in the following ways (click here to download the full NY-2 fact sheet):
- Improved coverage for 485,000 residents with health insurance.
- Tax credits and other assistance to up to 81,000 families and 21,000 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
- Improved Medicare for 102,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
- Extended coverage to 23,000 uninsured residents.
- Guarantee that 8,900 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
- Protection for 1,000 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
- Allowing 50,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
- Reduced cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $23 million annually.
View a timeline on the implementation of the health care reform law.
View Rep. Israel’s Q&A on the health reform legislation.
Help for Cancer Patients
Rep. Israel co-chairs the House Cancer Caucus. In this leadership role, he has introduced several bills to benefit cancer patients. You can watch Rep. Israel’s remarks at a Susan G. Komen Rally for the Cure.
In the 111th Congress (2009-2010), Rep. Israel’s bills included the Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act of 2009 (H.R. 716), which requires health care plans to ensure routine care coverage (doctor’s visits, lab work, etc) for patients undergoing a cancer clinical trial; and the Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 1927), which provides Medicare coverage for a 1 hour educational session for newly-diagnosed cancer patients. This session will help patients and their caregivers understand their disease and the effects of their treatment.
Taking on the High Price of Prescription Drugs
Affordable health care is increasingly dependent on affordable prescription medicines. Unfortunately, the cost of prescription drugs is increasing at double-digit rates. Rep. Israel believes we should fund research on the effectiveness of cheaper alternatives to heavily marketed drugs. He is also fighting the powerful drug lobby in Washington to permit the re-importation of safe, legal drugs from Canada, where American consumers can pay up to 50 percent less for their prescriptions.
Rep. Israel has also been a leader in ensuring counterfeit prescription drugs are eradicated as a threat to the American consumer. In June 2009, Rep. Israel re-introduced Tim Fagan’s Law (H.R. 2726), which expands FDA authority to crack down on counterfeiting and increases criminal penalties for counterfeiters. To hear more about the legislation, watch Rep. Israel’s video blog.
Protecting and Strengthening Medicare
On April 15, 2011, the House passed a budget resolution (H.Con.Res.34) that would end Medicare as we know it. Rep. Israel voted no and is strongly opposed to this plan. The proposal, introduced by GOP Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, replaces the current Medicare program with a voucher system that would force seniors eligible to enter the program in 2022 to buy their own costly private insurance. The Senate voted against the Ryan Budget on May 25, 2011.
Rep. Israel believes that Congress and the White House must work together on a plan that will protect and strengthen Medicare, but that ending Medicare’s guaranteed benefit must be taken off the table.
Helpful Links
More on Health Care
Northport, NY. –Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) released the following statement after participating in a House Veterans Affairs hearing today at the Northport Veterans Hospital. The hearing was held to inquire about recent reports of deficiencies at the hospital and a veteran suicide in a parking lot on facility grounds in August.
Melville, NY— Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct a thorough review of the Medicare enrollment process. Rep. Israel was joined by Andy Lord, a Melville resident who was forced to postpone his cancer treatments for aggressive prostate cancer due to a bureaucratic mistake between CMS and the SSA. Rep. Israel’s office was able to correct the mistake and get Mr.
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-PA), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) sent a bipartisan letter to the developer and publisher of the popular mobile game Pokémon Go, urging them to remove the PokéStops at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) that encourages Pokémon Go users to play the game inside the museum. Reps. Israel, Meehan and Deutch are appointed members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
Washington—Representatives Steve Israel (NY-03), Peter King (NY-02), Kathleen Rice (NY-04), and Lee Zeldin (NY-01) sent a bipartisan letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald calling on him to address the deteriorating conditions at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
Melville, NY— Today, Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone joined Suffolk County health experts and local elected officials to call on Congress to pass an emergency funding package that will provide New York with the adequate resources it needs to combat the Zika virus. Last week the House passed a bill allocating only $622 million in funding to last through September – a third of the $1.9 billion that what was requested by President Obama and administration health experts.
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) offered a bipartisan amendment to H.R. 5046, the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016, to create a comprehensive opioid abuse reduction grant program administered by the Department of Justice. The amendment, which passed the House by a voice vote, would direct the Attorney General to factor in the prevalence of opioid abuse and overdose related death when awarding grants. The grants will be used for a range of programs to combat opioid abuse and to facilitate innovative treatments.
Washington, D.C. –Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) announced the introduction of the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, legislation that would require ingredient labeling for domestic, commercial and institutional cleaning products. Under current law, cleaning products are not required to disclose ingredients.
Washington, DC. –Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY) and Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced legislation that will provide financial relief for families who are caring for an aging or ailing relative. The Americans Giving Care to Elders (AGE) Act creates a federal tax credit of up to $6,000 to offset elder care expenses for family caregivers.
Melville, NY—Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) is urging caution to families and spring break travelers planning to visit areas that have been affected by the Zika virus outbreak. According to the World Health Organization, the mosquito-borne virus is “spreading explosively” across the Americas, right as peak spring break travel season begins.
Washington —Today, Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) announced that he will not seek reelection this November. He released the following statement:
“Nearly 16 years ago, I was honored to take the oath of office and stand on the House Floor for the first time. Now, I’ve decided to leave the House in 2017. I hope to continue to be involved in public service, but it is time for me to pursue new passions and develop new interests, mainly spend more time writing my second novel.