Rep. Bera Health Care Bills Endorsed by New Democrat Coalition

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, issued the following news release:

The New Democrat Coalition (NDC), the largest ideological House Caucus, endorsed two pieces of health care legislation introduced by Rep. Ami Bera, M.D. The two bills, the Pathway to Universal Coverage Act and the Easy Enrollment Act, give states the tools they need to boost coverage and simplify enrollment.

NDC Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) commented on the endorsement: "The American people deserve solutions that make real progress to improve our health care system, lower costs of care, and achieve affordable, universal coverage. Rep. Bera's bills do just that - they present common-sense and innovative solutions to improving health care coverage for Americans. The NDC is proud to endorse his legislation."

The NDC endorsed bills include:

* H.R. 2061 - Pathway to Universal Coverage Act, which would authorize grants to states to experiment with ways to increase enrollment in their health insurance markets, with a particular focus on experimenting with auto-enrollment for those individuals who qualify for $0 premium health plans, but are currently uninsured.

* H.R. 4336 - Easy Enrollment Act, which would align open enrollment periods for Exchange plans with the deadline for filing Federal income tax returns when individuals have more up-to-date financial information and may be receiving a tax refund.

"As a doctor, I know that health care is extremely personal and oftentimes very stressful," said Rep. Bera. "Too many hardworking families have been left behind by premiums they can't afford. The Pathway to Universal Coverage Act and the Easy Enrollment Act are two sensible steps we can take right now to expand affordable coverage to millions of Americans. I'm pleased that my legislation was endorsed by the New Democrat Coalition."

The New Democrat Coalition is made up of 103 forward-thinking Democrats who are committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies. New Democrats are a solutions-oriented coalition seeking to bridge the gap between left and right by challenging outmoded partisan approaches to governing. New Democrats believe the challenges ahead are too great for Members of Congress to refuse to cooperate purely out of partisanship.

Rep. Bera has been a member of the New Democrat Coalition since 2013 and currently serves as a leadership member.