Rep. Roybal-Allard Votes to Strengthen the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-California, issued the following news release on June 29:

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 1425), a bill to strengthen and enhance the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by expanding Americans' access to quality and affordable health care, bringing down the cost of health care and prescription drugs, extending Medicaid coverage to new mothers, and more. 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 middle of a pandemic, access to quality and affordable health care is more important than ever for families in California's 40th District and across the country," said Rep. Roybal-Allard. "While the Trump Administration is trying to get the Supreme Court to strike down every one of the ACA's protections and benefits, I've voted for a crucial new bill to expand and strengthen the ACA for the American people. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act will reduce the number of uninsured Americans, expand access to quality and affordable health coverage, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and reduce the cost of prescription drugs for consumers. As co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus, I am also very pleased that this bill will help address America's epidemic of maternal mortality by extending Medicaid coverage to new mothers for their first year post-partum; and as lead author of the Dream and Promise Act, I'm thrilled that this bill will include health care access for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. As we combat the growing coronavirus crisis, I urge Senate Republicans to take up this lifesaving bill, and pass it quickly, so we can help ensure all Americans have access to the quality, affordable care they need to stay healthy and safe."

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act significantly increases the ACA's affordability subsidies to 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.

* A family of four earning $40,000 would save nearly $1,600 in premiums each year.

* A 64-year-old earning $57,420 would save more than $8,700 in premiums each year.

* A single adult with income of $31,900 would see premiums cut in half.

* An adult earning $19,140 would see premiums cut to zero, saving $800 dollars a year.

The bill negotiates for lower prescription drug prices, delivering the power to negotiate lower drug prices so that Americans no longer have to pay more for our medicines than Big Pharma charges for the same drugs overseas. 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 by Big Pharma, 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 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 expands coverage, pressing Medicaid expansion hold-out states 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 cracks down on junk plans and strengthens protections for people with pre-existing conditions, reversing the Trump Administration's expansion of 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.