Tremendous efforts have been made to ensure all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) not only opened up access to health insurance for millions of Americans, it also improved the quality of insurance, providing new consumer protections and cost savings.
I have worked closely with our region’s health care and safety net providers to ensure that Sacramentans have access to the health care they need. As a result of our hard work, local clinics and health care providers have received millions in federal grants and reimbursements under the ACA to expand access to care and provide more services. I will continue fighting to build on the Affordable Care Act and its protections for consumers, so that all hard working American families can benefit from and access affordable health care.
I joined Democrats in the House to pass the Inflation Reduction Act which took important steps to make healthcare more accessible and affordable by:
- Allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for some prescription drugs, saving consumers money.
- Lowering insulin costs for 4 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by capping a month’s supply of each covered insulin at $35.
- Projecting savings for nearly 19 million seniors of an average of $400 per year when the
- A $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs goes into effect in 2025.
As a leading Member of the House Telehealth Caucus, I have been a strong advocate for expanding access to Telehealth in the Medicare program. I understand that virtual care is convenient for patients, saves time and money, and improves the quality of care. I led the way on the bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act and the Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act, both of which are designed to permanently eliminate restrictions on the use of telehealth in Medicare.
I also championed the passage of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act, legislation that required sesame to be labeled on packaged foods, which was signed into law by President Biden. In addition, I Co-Chair the Congressional Food Allergy Caucus.
I have been a long-time supporter and advocate for improving our nation’s mental health care. Too often mental health takes a back seat to the issue of physical health. Mental health must be treated on a level playing field with the rest of our nation’s health care system.
I have advanced crucial legislation to build and expand our mental health infrastructure, ensuring that Americans can access the care they need, when they need it. To that end, I’ve also championed efforts to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment via telehealth, and co-led legislation that provides support for the key crisis response efforts deployed by health provider partners across the Sacramento region.
