Rep. Butterfield Votes to Pass Patient Protection & Affordable Care Enhancement Act

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on June 30:

Congressman Butterfield took action to build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to lower health costs and prescription drug prices for all Americans by joining House Democrats to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. Today's vote comes days after the Trump Administration filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down the entirety of the ACA.

"In the midst of a pandemic, access to quality, affordable health care is more important than ever for families throughout North Carolina and across the country," said Congressman Butterfield. "House Democrats have been fighting tirelessly since day one to expand coverage for all Americans and to oppose the Administration's outrageous legal campaign to sabotage Americans' health care. Today's passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act builds on the success of the ACA and takes bold action to deliver the lower health costs and prescription drug prices that hard-working Americans need."

The bill significantly increases the ACA's affordability subsidies to be more generous and cover more middle-class families. For the first time, no person will have to pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for a benchmark silver plan in the ACA marketplaces, and many Americans will see their premiums cut in half or more.

The bill negotiates for lower prescription drug prices, ensuring Americans no longer have to pay more for our medicines than other developed countries. According to a new report from Patients for Affordable Drugs, from January to June, 245 drugs were subject to an average price increase of more than 20 percent. Of these drugs with price hikes, more than 75 percent directly relate to the COVID-19 crisis, including 30 drugs that are currently in clinical trials for their effect against the virus.

The bill expands coverage, pressing Medicaid expansion hold-out states, like North Carolina, with new carrots and sticks to adopt coverage for the 4.8 million Americans cruelly excluded from coverage, while restoring the outreach and advertising funding that the Trump Administration has slashed to prevent Americans from learning about the affordable health coverage available to them under the ACA.

The bill combats inequity in health coverage faced by communities of color, expanding more affordable coverage to vulnerable populations and fighting the maternal mortality epidemic by requiring states to extend Medicaid or CHIP coverage to new mothers for a full year post-partum.

The bill cracks down on junk plans & strengthens protections for people with pre-existing conditions, reversing the Trump Administration's expansion of misleading junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs and that are allowed to discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions.

"I made a promise to lower the cost of health care for North Carolina families," continued Congressman Butterfield. "I am proud to join my colleagues to pass this critical legislation to fulfill that promise for North Carolinians and all Americans. As we combat the growing coronavirus crisis, I will continue to demand an end to the Administration's dangerous lawsuit to destroy the ACA and call on Republicans to join us to ensure all Americans have access to the quality, affordable care they need to stay healthy and safe."

A fact sheet on the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act is available here https://energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/documents/Affordable%20Care%20Enhancement%20Act%20-%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.