Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) Votes on Legislation to Make Health Care More Affordable and Accessible

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Veasey (TX-33) joined his colleagues to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act—a bold legislative package that builds on the Affordable Care Act to lower health costs and prescription drug prices for all Americans. The legislation includes provisions to increase health care access and includes a measure similar to one led by Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) that would incentivize states to expand Medicaid.

"The fight to expand affordable, comprehensive health care is now more important than ever in the face of the Trump Administration's attempts to strike down of the ACA amid a global pandemic," said Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33). "I am proud to vote on this legislation that will expand, lower prescription drug costs and expand coverage by pressing for

Medicaid expansion hold-out states like my home state of Texas to adopt coverage—a move that could result in more than 1 million Texans gaining lifesaving health care coverage.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act:

Cracks down on junk plans and strengthens protections for people with pre-existing conditions

· Reverses the Administration's expansion of junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs, and that are allowed to discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions.

· Curtails efforts to give states waivers to undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions and weaken standards for essential health benefits.

Expands coverage and pushes hold-out states, like Texas, to adopt Medicaid expansion

· Presses Medicaid expansion hold-out states to reconsider by renewing the ACA's original expanded federal matching for states that adopt the Medicaid expansion.

Lowers Americans' health coverage costs

· Expands tax credits to lower Americans' Marketplace health insurance premiums and allow more middle-class individuals to qualify for subsidies – no person will pay more than 8.5 percent of their income on a silver plan in the Marketplaces.

· Ensures that families who don't have an offer of affordable family coverage from an employer can qualify for subsidies in the Marketplaces.

· Provides funding for reinsurance initiatives to further lower premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs.

Combats inequity in health coverage faced by communities of color

· Fights the maternal mortality epidemic by requiring states to extend Medicaid or CHIP coverage to new mothers for 1-year post-partum.

· Protects vulnerable populations from losing health coverage by ensuring that Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries receive a full 12 months of coverage once enrolled, protecting them from interruptions due to fluctuations in their income throughout the year.

· Improves Medicaid beneficiaries' access to primary care physicians, by reauthorizing the ACA's increased payments to primary care physicians who treat Medicaid recipients.

Negotiates lower prescription drug prices

· Includes the drug price negotiation mechanism from the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, (H.R. 3), which would deliver immense savings to taxpayers, employers, workers and patients.