Letter to the Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House - Congresswoman Ross Urges Congressional Action to Lower Costs and Expand Access to Health Care for North Carolinians

Letter

Dear Madam Speaker:

In the coming months, as our country slowly emerges from one of the most devastating public
health emergencies in our history, Congress is widely expected to consider reforms to our health
care system to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage. In anticipation of
this important debate, I write to share recommendations for policy changes that I believe will
improve health outcomes for my constituents in North Carolina's Second Congressional District:

Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina: I am grateful that the American Rescue Plan
Act includes an enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to incentivize
states to expand their Medicaid programs. North Carolina is one of only 12 states that
have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leaving over 650,000
people in the so-called Medicaid coverage gap -- unable to afford private health
insurance and ineligible for Medicaid. I fought to expand this critical program in the
North Carolina General Assembly, and while I continue to urge leaders in the state
legislature to take action, I also look forward to discussions in Congress about how the
federal government can help cover Medicaid gap populations in holdout states like mine.

Lowering the Age of Medicare Eligibility: To further expand health care access and
promote affordability, I urge you to work to lower the Medicare eligibility age to 60 or
lower. This simple change would make Medicare available to a population of Americans
who work hard and retire before they turn 65. Even with sizable deductibles, Americans
over the age of 55 pay the highest insurance premiums in the country. These high costs
are particularly burdensome for those who lose their jobs or retire from jobs that did not
provide health insurance. Moreover, even after the current public health crisis ends, older
Americans who lost their jobs during this pandemic and are not yet 65 are likely to face
difficulties in securing new employment and may be unable to regain employer-based
insurance. In my state, nearly 20 percent of the population is 60 and older, and nearly
23 percent of the population will be 60 and older by the year 2030. After a lifetime of
work, these Americans deserve better, more affordable health care options.

Making ACA Coverage More Affordable: We have made significant progress in
improving access to affordable health coverage through the ACA marketplace by
expanding advance premium tax credits (APTCs) in the American Rescue Plan Act.
However, a temporary expansion is clearly insufficient. Consistent with President
Biden's proposal in the American Families Plan, I urge you to prioritize comprehensive
coverage and affordability provisions by making the expanded APTCs from the
American Rescue Plan Act permanent. Premiums after these new savings are introduced
will decrease, on average, by $50 per person per month or by $85 per policy per month,
allowing four out of five enrollees to find a health insurance plan for $10 or less per
month.

Establishing a Public Option: Finally, I support President Biden's proposal for a public
option, which would expand health care coverage by allowing Americans to opt into a
Medicare-like plan at any age. By allowing Americans this choice, a public option would
provide individuals and families with the freedom to choose between their employer sponsored insurance, plans offered by private insurers through the ACA marketplace, and
a public-option plan. This proposal will reduce costs for patients and bring relief to small
businesses struggling to afford coverage for their employees. Establishing a public option
is a commonsense solution for closing the coverage gap and ensuring that more
Americans can access affordable health care.

Thank you for considering these health care policy priorities. I look forward to working with you
and other Members of Congress from both parties to reform our health care system to bring
down costs, expand access, and improve outcomes for every American.

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