Issue Position: Ensuring We Stay Healthy

Issue Position

We are proud of Houston's role in leading advances in medicine. From the first heart transplant to the cutting-edge research in the Texas Medical Center today, we have led the way. But many people in our community--and across the country--do not have access to quality healthcare and cannot afford it. We must work together to address this: health care should not be a luxury good and we all share an interest in making sure our community stays healthy In Congress I will work to:

*Strengthen and build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by:
o Increasing and fully funding subsidies that reduce co-pays and lower deductibles for working families. Congress can stabilize the insurance market by fighting the current Administration's sabotage attempts and fully reinstating the subsidies that allow insurance companies to keep premiums low.
o Creating more affordable options. Innovative health care policy ideas, like allowing those nearing retirement age to buy into Medicare or reexamining plan qualifications for younger enrollees, can provide more affordable health care to those who need it the most.
o Eliminating deceptive plans that create instability in the insurance pool, do not meet the minimum requirements for coverage, and lead to higher out-of-pocket costs when healthy people get sick.
o Promoting the importance of buying coverage. The Administration has weakened or defunded outreach programs that advertise key information regarding health insurance options, like the dates of open enrollment periods, to targeted audiences. Congress should encourage these programs to ensure that everyone, particularly young people, is armed with the tools needed to obtain coverage.
*Bring down the cost of prescription drugs. When taxpayers are paying the bill, like in Medicare Part D, the government owes it to us to negotiate the best possible prices. We can do this by introducing common-sense cost-saving measures, like allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower costs, and demanding transparency about why pharmaceutical companies raise prices.
*Protect women's access to safe and affordable health care. Protecting women's access to reproductive health care to is essential. We must protect Title X funding, a critical program originally introduced by then Congressman George H.W. Bush (TX-07), that provides resources to organizations that offer family planning and preventative health services for women.
*Maintain protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes, or asthma, and block attempts to eliminate these protections.
*Partner with our health care community of innovative providers and researchers to address systemic issues in delivering high quality, affordable health care, including promoting value-based care and healthier outcomes.

Source