OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

State Health Care Premium Reduction Act

Floor Speech

Date: June 29, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health Insurance Health and Health Care

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Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act today because it is high time that we reduce prescription drug costs for all Americans.

Likewise, this bill includes provisions to expand access to Medicaid and quality healthcare insurance with expanded tax credits and premium subsidies.

This bill includes a provision in the bill--that is, the bill that I have been advocating with my colleagues John Lewis and Mark Veasey for some time now--to ensure that all States that expand Medicaid coverage receive an equal Federal match for expansion, regardless of when they expanded. That means that the 14 States--like Alabama, that I represent--could expand Medicaid and get equal Federal coverage in their match.

This provision incentivizes Medicaid expansion because it would help 113 million Americans living in nonexpansion States. In my State alone, over 300,000 more Alabamians would qualify for coverage from Medicaid if we had this bill passed.

The writing is on the wall and the facts are clear: Premiums and healthcare costs are higher in States that haven't expanded Medicaid, and over 70 percent of the rural hospital closures are in States that have not expanded Medicaid.

The public health emergency and economic crisis that we are currently facing means that more uninsured and more unemployed constituents are more vulnerable.

Let's pass this legislation. It will not only expand Medicaid and give Medicaid expansion opportunities with equal Federal match in States like Alabama, but it would also decrease prescription drug costs and protect the preexisting conditions that are so important for all Americans.

This is an important tool, providing our States with enhanced Federal matching funds to ensure Medicaid is one of the best tools that we have to help the communities we represent now and into the future. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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