Democrats are taking action to lower health care costs, bring down prescription drug prices, and fight back against Republican sabotage of the Affordable Care Act.
House Democrats have taken action to strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions, lower prescription drug prices, and fight against Republican efforts to take away health coverage and raise costs for millions of Americans.
The Affordable Care Act – enacted by President Obama and Congressional Democrats in 2010 – has put American families in control of their own health care and ended a system that put profits ahead of patients with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act. Since its enactment, 20 million more Americans have gained access to quality, affordable health coverage. Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be discriminated against by insurance companies. Parents can now keep their children on their insurance plans up to age 26. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to put annual or lifetime limits on coverage or drop people when they get sick. And, thanks to the law, Medicare costs – from premiums and deductibles to overall program spending – have slowed to well below the levels projected before the law passed.
Despite the progress made under the ACA, President Trump and Congressional Republicans worked for years to repeal the law. After failing to do so, they have sought to eliminate the law through the courts. On day one of the Democratic-led 116th Congress, House Democrats voted to authorize the House Counsel to intervene in the Republican lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the law, including its protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. A few months later, House Democrats voted on a resolution to condemn the Trump Administration’s efforts to sabotage the ACA. In addition, ten bills have been passed to protect and expand access to coverage and address the cost of prescription drugs by bringing generic drugs to market more quickly and amending information provided by the FDA.
In December 2019, the House passed H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. Too many Americans can’t afford their prescription drugs, and are forced to choose between medicines they need and paying rent or putting food on the table. This bill will give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies, which will help bring drug prices down. It will make those lower drug prices available to Americans with private insurance as well. It will also create a new out-of-pocket limit of $2,000 for prescription drug costs for those on Medicare Part-D. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act saves American taxpayers approximately half a trillion dollars over the next ten years; the bill reinvests those savings to expand Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision, and hearing services; invest in new research, treatments, and cures; and combat the opioid crisis.
House committees have also held numerous health care-related hearings, including hearings to examine the Trump Administration’s efforts to sabotage the ACA, the cost of prescription drugs like insulin, the opioid crisis, maternal health, and surprise billing. House Democrats will continue to work through the committees to bring additional legislation to the Floor later in the year.
Democrats will continue to urge Republicans to work with us to improve health care access and affordability and to strengthen the ACA and ensure all Americans can access affordable health coverage.
The Affordable Care Act – enacted by President Obama and Congressional Democrats in 2010 – has put American families in control of their own health care and ended a system that put profits ahead of patients with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act. Since its enactment, 20 million more Americans have gained access to quality, affordable health coverage. Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be discriminated against by insurance companies. Parents can now keep their children on their insurance plans up to age 26. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to put annual or lifetime limits on coverage or drop people when they get sick. And, thanks to the law, Medicare costs – from premiums and deductibles to overall program spending – have slowed to well below the levels projected before the law passed.
Despite the progress made under the ACA, President Trump and Congressional Republicans worked for years to repeal the law. After failing to do so, they have sought to eliminate the law through the courts. On day one of the Democratic-led 116th Congress, House Democrats voted to authorize the House Counsel to intervene in the Republican lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the law, including its protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. A few months later, House Democrats voted on a resolution to condemn the Trump Administration’s efforts to sabotage the ACA. In addition, ten bills have been passed to protect and expand access to coverage and address the cost of prescription drugs by bringing generic drugs to market more quickly and amending information provided by the FDA.
In December 2019, the House passed H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. Too many Americans can’t afford their prescription drugs, and are forced to choose between medicines they need and paying rent or putting food on the table. This bill will give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies, which will help bring drug prices down. It will make those lower drug prices available to Americans with private insurance as well. It will also create a new out-of-pocket limit of $2,000 for prescription drug costs for those on Medicare Part-D. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act saves American taxpayers approximately half a trillion dollars over the next ten years; the bill reinvests those savings to expand Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision, and hearing services; invest in new research, treatments, and cures; and combat the opioid crisis.
House committees have also held numerous health care-related hearings, including hearings to examine the Trump Administration’s efforts to sabotage the ACA, the cost of prescription drugs like insulin, the opioid crisis, maternal health, and surprise billing. House Democrats will continue to work through the committees to bring additional legislation to the Floor later in the year.
Democrats will continue to urge Republicans to work with us to improve health care access and affordability and to strengthen the ACA and ensure all Americans can access affordable health coverage.