Rep. Payne, Jr. Votes to Enhance Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:

Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. The bill (H.R. 1425) would allow more middle-class individuals and families to qualify for health care subsidies through tax credits to lower Americans' health insurance premiums. Under the bill, a family of four earning $40,000 would save nearly $1,600 every year and a 64-year-old earning $57,420 would save more than $8,700 every year.

"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed millions of Americans to obtain quality health care regardless of pre-existing conditions," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "It is tragic that Americans had and still have to ration prescriptions to afford them, risking their lives in the process.

"As a diabetic, I have firsthand knowledge of just how important reliable access to care and medication is to one's health. We must support and expand the ACA, not eliminate it as many of my Republican colleagues in Congress are trying to do."

In addition, the bill would require the administration to negotiate Medicare prescription drug prices with drug companies, making those prices available to all Americans with insurance- a provision from the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3); provide funds to states to improve access to the ACA and create more state-run exchanges; and protect vulnerable populations by expanding Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) health coverage to include post-partum care for one year as well as guaranteeing recent Medicaid and CHIP enrollees get at least a full year of health coverage without interruption.