Health Care
Louise was a strong supporter of the Affordable Care & Patient Protection Act and as Chairwoman of the Rules Committee, had a key role in the bill’s passage. The health care reform bill has improved the lives of seniors, young adults, small businesses, and many others in Western New York and has taken power away from insurance companies and given it to patients and doctors. Unfortunately, Republicans in Washington -- many of whom are in the pockets of the insurance industry -- are hell-bent on repealing the law and returning us to a time when insurance companies could discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions, charge women more for coverage just for being a woman, and force young adults off of their parents’ insurance plans, leaving them defenseless against accident or illness.
- As a result of the new healthcare law:
- 5,500 young adults in the district now have health insurance.
- 10,400 seniors in the district received prescription drug discounts worth $6.7 million, an average discount of $640 per senior.
- 70,000 seniors in the district received Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
- 22,000 children and 100,000 adults now have health insurance that covers preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
- 430 small businesses in the district received tax credits to help maintain or expand health care coverage for their employees.
- $10.9 million in public health grants have been given to community health centers, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers in the district to improve the community’s health.
- 7,000 to 32,000 children with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers.
- Helped protect 130,000 residents of the district from excessive health insurance rate increases
- Beginning in 2014:
- Protect the 100,000 to 270,000 individuals in the district with a pre-existing health condition from losing insurance.
- 10,000 residents who now lack health insurance will receive coverage for the first time.
- The 390,000 residents with private insurance coverage will no longer face annual limits on coverage.
Source: “Benefits of the Health Care Reform Law in the 28th Congressional District of New York” Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Louise was responsible for obtaining the first funding dedicated by Congress for breast cancer research, securing $500 million at the National Institute of Health.
- Louise led the charge to expand health research and health care for women by creating the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institute of Health. Prior to its creation, all research for medical studies and clinical trials was conducted on white males, even for diseases like breast cancer and cervical cancer.
- Louise solved a major problem in the health insurance market by passing the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Bill to prohibit health insurers from discriminating against and denying coverage to any healthy individual because they have a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future.
- Louise has fought for the prevention and regulation of lead paint use given its demonstrable links to ADD, reproductive problems, brain damage, and lead poisoning