Washington, D.C. — Today, the chairs of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, and the Education and Labor Committee, among other committee members, introduced H.R. 5155—a bill to reduce health care costs, ensure protections for pre-existing conditions, improve the quality of care, and promote enrollment. The bill’s introduction comes a day after the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court to terminate the entire Affordable Care Act and on the heels of regulatory actions that would increase costs for those with chronic conditions. Maura Calsyn, managing director of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement on the bill’s introduction:
For the past two years, politicians in Washington have done everything they can to increase health care costs for the American people and gut protections for those with pre-existing conditions. The consequences of President Trump and his allies’ actions are damning: Premiums are skyrocketing, 7 million more Americans are uninsured today than when the president was elected, and fewer insurers are selling plans on the marketplace.
Last November, the American people voted for a fundamentally different health care agenda. The introduction of H.R. 5155 proves that this new Congress is prepared to deliver meaningful reforms to drive down premiums and out-of-pocket costs, fortify protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and stop elected officials from prioritizing their political agenda over the American people’s health care.
For more information on the proposal or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202-741-6292.