Health & Wellness

Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act addressed a major need in American society.  Prior to its passage, 47 million Americans had no health insurance and millions more were financially burdened by the limited the coverage they did have. 

19 million more Americans will have health insurance in 2015 because of the ACA, including over 600,000 Ohioans.  Over 450,000 residents of Ohio have gained health coverage through ACA’s Medicaid expansion.  Since the full implementation of ACA in January 2014, Ohio’s uninsured rate has been cut in half.

In addition to expanding health coverage, the ACA has protected Americans from losing their coverage because of a pre-existing condition, among other protections, and saved seniors billions of dollars on their prescription drugs.

The ACA is the law of the land, it is working, and it is here to stay.

Childhood Obesity

Nearly one third of all children in this country are overweight or obese – a rate that has tripled over the past fifty years and disproportionally impacts at-risk communities.  Left unchecked, obesity threatens to create the first generation of Americans with shorter life expectancies than their parents.

To combat this epidemic, I have introduced a number of pieces of legislation, including a resolution that designates September as Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and comprehensive anti-obesity legislation. Click here to learn more about my work related to childhood obesity.

Medicare/Medicaid

July 2015 marks the 50^th anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These programs were critical components of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society in the 1960s and remain some of the most important programs we have in the War on Poverty today.

I am strong supporter of the Medicare program, and have spoken out against attempts by my Republican colleagues to drastically decrease services for beneficiaries and make Medicare a voucher program. Beneficiaries of the program worked hard for their earned benefits and deserve to keep them.

I also believe Medicaid is a vital component of our nation’s safety net, providing health coverage for some of the most vulnerable among us, including children, pregnant women, and the poor.