HEALTH CARE
Protecting Patients
Americans deserve affordable, quality health care. Susan supported the health care reform law, which is already making this a reality by giving more people access to the care they need and can afford.
New Health Law Measures Already in Effect
- No denying children coverage based on a pre-existing condition
- Insurance companies can’t cancel policies when a patient gets sick
- No lifetime limits on benefits
- Small businesses receive tax credits for covering their workers
- Young adults can stay on their parents' coverage until age 26
- Insurers have to provide free preventative care on new plans
- Closing the prescription drug gap called the "donut hole"
- No copayments for seniors for preventative care
- New drug discounts for seniors
- Insurance companies have to dedicate 85% of your premiums to your health care
Continuing to Make Health Care Better for Everyone
As with any major piece of legislation, Susan wants to continue to focus on making the health care law work in the best way possible for her constituents. She doesn’t support repealing or cutting funding since that would unravel important protections and cause millions of American to lose their access to health care, backtrack on consumer protections and create economic uncertainty in our region. Instead, she is committed to working toward bipartisan solutions for improving the law, particularly before it is fully implemented in 2014.
For more information on the health care reform law, visit http://www.healthcare.gov/.
For specific information about the bill’s tax provisions, including the small business health care tax credit, visit http://www.irs.gov/.
- A complete timeline of what's changing and when
- A complete look at the provisions of the new law
- Susan’s Statement on Passing Health Care Reform
- Susan’ Statement on Vote Against Repealing the Health Care Law
- List of over 350 Organizations that Support Health Reform
Provisions in the Health Care Law that Built on Susan’s Legislation.
The health care law puts in place broad consumer protections that are long overdue for patients across our country. Provisions that built on Susan’s original legislation which were included in the final healthcare law:
Getting women direct access to their OB/GYN
(H.R. 2940, Women's Obstetrician and Gynecologist Medical Access Now Act)
Provides women direct access to an OB/GYN or a participating family practice physician or surgeon designated by the plan or issuer as providing OB/GYN services
Prohibits plans or issuers from requiring a referral or prior approval
Susan championed similar legislation in the California state assembly before she introduced legislation on the federal level shortly after she was elected to Congress.
Helping to Prevent Diabetes
(H.R. 4124, Diabetes Prevention Act)
Provides grants for a community-based approach to preventing new cases of type 2 Diabetes
New cases of Diabetes are growing at an alarming rate – even beginning to appear in children – and Susan wants to help reverse this trend.
Maintaining Viability of Birth Centers
(H.R. 2358, Medicaid Birth Center Reimbursement Act)
Preserves crucial maternal health care by providing that authority and ensuring Medicaid birth center facility fee payments to states Susan became concerned that CMS has begun disallowing federal matching funds for state Medicaid payments for freestanding birth center facility fees. Birth centers are part of an essential safety net for Medicaid mothers across the country.
Fighting Disease and Finding Cures
Every day, dedicated professionals at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) conduct critical research that improves our citizen's health and sustains our global scientific and economic leadership.
In San Diego, we are privileged to have several eminent institutions doing this work, and Susan understands the significance of continuing to support them so their developments can keep Americans healthier.
That’s why she has consistently fought for NIH funding. In the 111th Congress, she worked to bring close to $500 million in NIH funding to the 53rd District in the Recovery Act, which was more than any other district received in the nation. As NIH funding has come under attack in the 112th Congress, Susan has actively worked to protect it. She co-led a letter in the House signed by 117 of her colleagues requesting funding for medical research to fight diseases and improve health. The letter accompanied an amendment Susan helped draft blocking $1.6 billion in cuts to the NIH for FY11.
Child Health and Nutrition
As a mother and grandmother, Susan knows how important it is for kids to have nutritious meals, because healthy food feeds a healthy mind! She worked on the Education and Labor Committee to reauthorize the Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was signed into law on December 13, 2010. This law is fully paid for and contains the most significant improvements to child nutrition programs we’ve had in more than 30 years. The major goals are to help reduce childhood hunger and childhood obesity, both of which have begun to significantly impact young generations.
Susan was proud to vote for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which was the first bill signed into law in the 111th Congress. The law extended health coverage to over 9 million children. Susan believes every child deserves access to health care.