WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today urged U.S. House committee leaders to prioritize strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to build a strategy that increases access to affordable healthcare coverage.

In a letter sent to leaders of the U.S. House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees, Spanberger joined 75 of her colleagues in calling on the Democratic majority to take swift action to address rising healthcare costs and to stabilize the ACA.

“Our constituents elected a Democratic majority in the House by choosing candidates who stood strongly in support of protecting those with pre-existing conditions and bringing down health care costs for all,” the letter reads. “Now that we are in the House Majority, we must follow through on these pledges and take decisive action to tackle rising health care costs.”

Specifically, the letter from members of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC) urges the Committees of jurisdiction to work to stabilize the individual healthcare marketplace—including reversing the recent sabotage of the ACA. Additionally, the letter calls on the Committees to pursue legislation to lower healthcare costs for consumers—including creating a dedicated reinsurance program, creating state innovation grants that allow states to experiment with new ideas to expand coverage, and providing additional assistance to lower premiums.

Click here to read the full letter.

Last Congress, NDC released Solutions Over Politics: Stabilizing & Improving the Individual Market, which offered proposals to create a permanent reinsurance program, reduce healthcare costs for low-income Americans, promote greater insurance coverage, create a greater number of affordable insurance options, and stabilize the marketplaces. 

Background

Spanberger is fighting to address rising healthcare costs and to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Central Virginia. Last month, she helped introduce legislation to address the prescription drug affordability crisis. The Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act would allow the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices within Medicare Part D to help lower costs.

And last month, Spanberger called on President Trump to prioritize legislative efforts that would help address the rising cost of prescription drugs for seniors in Central Virginia.

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