Rep. Craig's Landmark Bill to Lower Health Care Costs, Prescription Drug Prices Passes House

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Angela Craig, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release:

Congresswoman Angie Craig's bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, passed out of the House with bipartisan support. The bill would stabilize the Affordable Care Act and further drive down health care and prescription drug prices for Americans.

Today's bill expands on Rep. Craig's bipartisan legislation, the State Health Care Premium Reduction Act, which would provide federal reinsurance funding to states to help them lower the cost of premiums in the individual marketplace and to expand access to healthcare to more Americans. It now also includes the transformational drug price negotiation mechanism from the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which finally takes on the high cost of prescription drugs.

"Les and his family farm in my district - they pay over $20,000 a year in premiums - with a $12,000 deductible in the individual marketplace. Another farmer farms by flashlight and works during the day - just for the family health insurance. These examples show the heart of the problem: if health care isn't affordable, it isn't accessible," said Rep. Craig. "I'm proud to be leading the effort to build on the important progress we've made. It's long past time to stop trying to tear down and throw out the ACA. It's time to work together to build the healthcare system Americans need and deserve."

As the chief author of the base bill, Rep. Craig delivered remarks during today's debate. You can watch her remarks here https://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/a0ae5daf-de28-476b-ae5d-1bb952b691b2?token=b82c538e-1260-4756-a347-ad4827afa6e2.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act aims to:

* Lower Americans' health coverage costs

* Negotiate lower prescription drug prices

* Expand coverage and push hold-out states to adopt Medicaid expansion

* Combat disparities in health coverage faced by communities of color

* Crackdown on junk plans and strengthens protections for people with preexisting conditions