Health Care

Everyone should have access to quality, affordable healthcare, including preventative services, regardless of their economic background or medical history. I was not in Congress when it became law, but I support the goals of the Affordable Care Act and will work to strengthen and improve it. I also believe that robust funding of research programs at the National Institutes of Health and other agencies is key to improving outcomes for patients and reducing costs in our healthcare system.

What I am Doing for You

I have voted numerous times against bills which would take health care away from millions of Americans by repealing all or part of the Affordable Care Act.

I introduced H.R. 4393, the Advancing Access to Precision Medicine Act. This bipartisan bill would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Medicine to develop recommendations on how the federal government may reduce barriers to  use of genetic and genomic testing to allow better delivery of precision medicine — the customization of healthcare, with medical decisions, treatments, practices, or products tailored to the individual patient.

In the 116th Congress, my colleagues and I passed H.R. 1058, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2019, of which I am a co-sponsor. This bill provides $1.8 billion in funding for autism programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and Health Resources and Services Administration.

In a bipartisan step towards providing affordable healthcare to the middle class, my colleagues and I passed H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, repealing the 40% excise tax on high-value, employer-sponsored health insurance, known as the Cadillac Tax. Tax breaks for the one percent should not replace life-saving medical care for the working class. I also co-sponsored this bill in the 114th and 115th Congresses.

I’m a co-sponsor of H.R. 1897, the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA’s) Act, to tackle the growing epidemic of maternal mortality. Every mother, regardless of race, should be able to deliver a healthy child without fearing fatal and debilitating complications that often result from inadequate care.

Together with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, I co-sponsored H.R. 2328, the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019. This bill would sustain the nation’s access to critical primary and preventative care services by extending funding for Community Health Centers for five years.

I'm a co-sponsor of H.R. 1784, the Healthy Families Act, which would allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days per year to recover from short-term illness, care for a sick family member, seek routine medical care, or seek assistance related to domestic violence. Prioritizing workers’ health keeps our families strong, our businesses productive, and our communities resilient. I previously co-sponsored this bill in the 114th and 115th Congresses. 

Understanding the critical importance of timely cancer detection, I co-sponsored H.R. 1570, the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2019, eliminating any co-pays under Medicare related to colorectal cancer screenings. Early detection cuts costs and saves lives.

To broaden access to training for aspiring medical professionals, I co-sponsored H.R. 1763, the Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the amount of residency slots in hospitals nationally. We must encourage the growth of a medical workforce capable of supporting our rising need for care.

My colleagues and I have passed the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, a bipartisan bill which created an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country. This advanced early detection and diagnosis, reduced risk, and prevented avoidable hospitalizations. It also increased nationwide implementation of the Healthy Brain Initiative’s Public Health Road Map by establishing Alzheimer’s centers of excellence, providing cooperative agreements to public health departments, and improving data collection, analysis and timely reporting.

I worked with Republican and Democratic colleagues to pass the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, a bipartisan bill which would promote research on and delivery of pediatric cancer treatment. I also cosponsored this bill in the 114th Congress.

My colleagues and I have also passed the Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act. This bipartisan bill would allow for the creation of nationally designated children’s hospital networks to serve children with medically complex conditions and let them travel across state lines to receive care. I also co-sponsored this bill in 114th Congress.

Rep. Swalwell visits the Stanford Genome Technology Center, where Dr. Ron Davis and his researchers are seeking treatments and a cure for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, August 2016.