Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

I've consistently fought to help New Jerseyans afford the health care they deserve. Affordable health insurance should be a right -- not a privilege for the wealthy.

Bob's Focus
Making high-quality health care affordable for all New Jerseyans
Advocating for funds to expand research into finding cures for devastating diseases, such as Alzheimer's
Raising awareness and expanding federal efforts in autism research and ensuring adults with autism and other developmental disabilities receive the support they need to live independently

Bob's Accomplishments
Ending discriminatory insurance practices
As a key member of the Senate Finance Committee that wrote the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Bob fought to make it illegal for insurance companies to charge women higher premiums, deny coverage because of a preexisting condition and drop someone's coverage entirely after they receive a serious diagnosis.

Fighting for women's health care rights
Bob has been a strong supporter of the Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act that ensures a woman and her doctor can make health care decisions without interference from her boss.

Securing access to preventive health services
Bob worked to ensure that key preventive services such as screenings for diabetes and cancer, immunizations and flu shots are available without any out-of-pocket costs.

Sustaining autism research
Bob was the leading champion in Congress of the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (Autism CARES) Act, which was signed into law in August 2014. The Act ensures continued federal investment in autism research and support services for families and individuals for an additional five years. This law also provides the first coordinated federal effort to address young adults with autism spectrum disorders as they "age out" of school based support and services.

Helping ease suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Bob has a strong personal commitment to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, the condition that took the life of his mother, Evangelina. Bob co-sponsored the National Alzheimer's Project Act, which was signed into law in 2011. Every year he also makes sure Congress provides the resources needed to the National Institutes of Health and other federal research institutions and he consistently supports the Administration's National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease.

Strengthening community health centers
Bob authored a key provision in the Affordable Care Act that ensures Federally Qualified Health Centers can continue providing high quality primary care for families throughout New Jersey with our without health insurance.

Maintaining a commitment to children's health coverage
Bob was instrumental in making sure the Affordable Care Act provided families with protection against insurance company abuses, such as denying children health insurance due to preexisting conditions. He's also a leader in the Senate efforts to protect and expand New Jersey's FamilyCare program which provides health insurance for children in low-income families.

Assisting families with special needs children
Bob is the Senate's leading advocate for families with children that have special health care needs. He has successfully fought to ensure the family-to-family health information center program remains fully funded so families can continue receiving peer-led support on which they rely.

Supporting new mothers and their babies
Bob fought to ensure federal funding for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, which provides in-home support to pregnant women, new mothers and their babies during the critical first months and years of a child's life. New Jersey has long been a national model for home visiting, and this program provides federal support to local nurses and their partners to provide new families with the education and support necessary to raise a healthy, happy baby.

Raising Postpartum Depression Awareness
Bob authored the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, which was included as part of the Affordable Care Act, to provide support services to women suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis and to help educate mothers and their families. In addition, the bill supports research into the causes, diagnoses and treatments for postpartum depression and psychosis.

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