Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Congressman Moran was proud to support passage of landmark health care reform, an achievement our country's leaders have been working to enact for over six decades. Provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in March 2010, have already been implemented: insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children based on pre-existing conditions; parents can keep their children on their insurance plans until age 26; and seniors have begun to see the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole" shrink; and there is no cost sharing (or copay) for many preventative medical services. The major component of the law, the state health exchanges, will be fully operational in January, 2014.

When the law is fully implemented, the U.S. will finally take its place among all industrialized nations by offering health coverage to nearly all of its citizens. Some 32 million Americans currently locked out of the system will gain access to coverage, exorbitant premium rate increases will be a thing of the past, and all Americans will be able to choose the plan that's best for them and their family. Reforming our health care system is also important for our long-term economic needs. The Affordable Care Act will reduce the deficit by more than $200 billion over the next ten years.

In addition to helping enact health care reform, Congressman Moran has a long record of working to improve our nation's health. Moran championed a smoking ban in the House office buildings. He currently serves as co-chair of the Congressional Prevention Caucus, a group of health care reform-minded members who strive to educate Congress and the public regarding disease prevention and health promotion. He also co-chairs the Congressional Lupus Caucus and the Crohn's and Colitis Caucus. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Moran oversees federal funding for the National Institutes for Health (NIH), advocating for robust research and development funding. He has also secured federal funding for programs that provide health services to the less fortunate in our community.

Another issue Congressman Moran has fought to combat is mental illness. More than 50 million Americans suffer from diagnosable mental illnesses, but only eight million ever receive treatment. Congressman Moran has supported efforts and legislation focused on implementing and funding mental health parity laws. A provision included in the ACA, based on the parity provisions in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan, will finally give patients with mental disorders the same care and benefits that those with other medical conditions receive.

Congressman Moran is guided by his belief that the public interest is best served when the medical and scientific communities are free to exercise their professional judgment in extending and enhancing human life. Moran is supportive of stem cell research, strongly believing that this research holds great promise for cures to a myriad of diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. With nearly one in every 88 children born in the U.S. diagnosed with a form of autism, Congressman Moran is a vocal advocate for the study and treatment of this disorder. In the 113th Congress, Moran will continue working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support research and treatment of this disorder.

Health care issues have already appeared at the forefront of political debates in the 113th Congress. Congressman Moran will fight to improve our health care system, through fully funding and implementing the Affordable Care Act and supporting programs that provide health services to our underserved populations.

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