issues

Click here to get the most up to date information about my views and work on health care issues.

Highlights This Congress

• The House has passed several pieces of legislation that will lower your health care costs – specifically the cost of medication and premiums.

  • H.R. 184: Repeals the medical device tax, this will increase money for R&D and industry jobs.

  • H.R. 6311: Expands access and use of Health Savings Accounts and lower premiums on care. H.R. 6311 Increases consumer choice by allowing the premium tax credit to be used for qualified plans offered outside the government exchanges and healthcare.gov and delays the ACA tax on health insurers for an additional two years, providing relief from the premium increase caused by this tax.

  • H.R. 6199:  Provides relief from the ACA tax on over-the-counter medications and would modernize health savings accounts.

• Signed Into Law

  • H.R. 1: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminates the ObamaCare individual mandate penalty for not purchasing government-approved health insurance.

  • H.R. 1892: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 provides funding for NIH research, funds program to combat the opioid crisis, repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board, Funds the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), community health centers, and other public health programs.

There is no doubt that the Nation’s health care system is in need of reform. As health insurers have struggled to offset new costs of compliance, constituents of the First District have been bogged down with drastic premium hikes and deductibles they can no longer afford.

I initiated a First District Healthcare Listening Tour, meeting with individual constituents, constituent groups, health care providers and other stakeholders in the district to understand what changes they want to see to our healthcare system. Those conversations made clear to me that the American people deserve a patient-centered system that favors quality and choice, not more government bureaucracy.

Health Care Reform Legislation

I believe the goal of health care reform must be to drive costs down so that quality health care coverage is affordable and accessible to every American. In addition to accessibility and affordability, reforms must ensure that doctors and patients, not insurance companies or government bureaucrats, are the ones making important health care decisions. We must enact meaningful health care reforms that put the patient and health care provider back at the center of our health care system. I fully support the full repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act and I stand ready and willing to work with my colleagues on legislation that expands choices, increases access, and reduces costs. Below are my five principles for a replacement plan:

1. All Virginians should be able to purchase health insurance coverage.
2. Choice and access must be prioritized and maintained.
3. We need to get serious about reducing health care costs.
4. Medicare and Medicaid must be protected and preserved.
5. We need to create a system that empowers individuals and the private sector, not one that grows government.

You can read my statements both before and after the delay of the American Health Care Reform Act by clicking the links.

Public Health Caucus

I am a Co-Chair of the Public Health Caucus and I am committed to protecting Virginians and raising awareness about how public health issues impact lives and communities. I have visited healthcare facilities across the First District, learning the problems they face every day and sharing them with my colleagues in the caucus. We will, through an open dialogue, create meaningful solutions to the complaints of our patients and providers. Check out the caucus website here to see what the caucus has been doing and to find out about future events. 

First Congressional District Health Advisory Council