Pallone Opposes Continuing Resolution that Further Delays Bipartisan Extension of CHIP and Community Health Centers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2017



Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement today after voting against a Continuing Resolution which funds the federal government through January 19 and further delays a bipartisan extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Community Health Centers and other public health programs:

The partisan bill jeopardizes the health care of more than 230,000 New Jersey children enrolled in CHIP annually, and the 23 federally-funded Community Health Center organizations in New Jersey with a combined 142 delivery sites. New Jersey receives $462.9 million to fund its CHIP program.

“After a year focused on sabotaging the Affordable Care Act and passing a tax scam that benefits large corporations and the wealthiest few, Congressional Republicans are ducking out of town without a bipartisan extension of CHIP and Community Health Centers funding.

“The Republican’s Continuing Resolution kicks the can down the road, further risking the health care of nearly 9 million children. Congressional Republicans are also using this bill to continue their sabotage of the Affordable Care Act, extending Community Health Center funding through March and paying for it solely through ACA Prevention Funds.

“Washington Republicans have no shame – they just passed a giant tax bill that adds $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit, but they are now demanding that a temporary extension of Community Health Centers and other public health programs be paid for by stripping $750 million away from the ACA Prevention Fund. This fund pays for immunizations and vaccines, lead poisoning prevention, opioid treatment, diabetes, heart disease, stroke prevention and many other important programs.

“All year long Democrats stood ready to help pass a bipartisan, bicameral bill that extended CHIP and community health centers. If House Republicans were serious about providing health care to nearly 9 million children, they would not be leaving town without a long-term extension that would give peace of mind to millions of American families.”

Rep. Pallone Speaks Against Partisan GOP Proposal on CHIP

House Republicans will take any opportunity to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. We need to expose their efforts to hijack the bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Program and turn it into a vehicle to quietly sabotage the ACA. The House will vote on the partisan CHIP bill tomorrow. Frank Pallone be managing the floor debate before the vote tomorrow.

Pallone, Local Officials and Medical Professionals Discuss Urgent Need to Reauthorize Children’s Health Insurance Program & Fund Community Health Centers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2017


New Brunswick, NJ – On Monday, October 23 at the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) discussed the urgent need to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Community Health Centers (CHC), and other important public health programs, with state and local officials, medical professionals and health and children’s advocates. The program’s authorization expired on September 30th.

Republicans are demanding cuts to Medicare and the Affordable Care Act to reauthorize the programs and their partisan proposal jeopardizes the health care of more than 230,000 New Jersey children enrolled in CHIP annually, and the 23 federally-funded Community Health Center organizations in New Jersey with a combined 142 delivery sites. New Jersey receives $462.9 million to fund its CHIP program.

As the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone has been working to craft a bipartisan agreement on the reauthorization package. To date, his Republican counterparts have been unwilling to budge from a partisan bill that they passed, with no Democratic support, in the Committee earlier this month.

The Republican bill pays for CHIP reauthorization and funding of Community Health Centers by slashing the prevention fund of the ACA, which pays for programs for children such as lead poisoning prevention and vaccinations. It also cuts back significantly on the grace period that people have to pay their monthly insurance premium, with the consequence that hundreds of thousands of people will lose their insurance if they miss their monthly premium payment. Lastly, the Republican bill forces the highest income seniors to pay 100% of the cost of Medicare, which could drive those seniors out of the Medicare system, resulting in increased costs for those who remain on Medicare.

“CHIP has been a long standing bipartisan priority for Members of Congress and state governments,” said Pallone. “Congress created CHIP with one goal in mind – to make sure no American child falls through the cracks of our nation’s health care system. Since the creation of CHIP, the share of uninsured children in the U.S. fell from nearly 14 percent in 1997 to 4.5 percent in 2015. Meanwhile if Congress fails to act, it is estimated that 2,800 health center locations will close and 50,000 clinicians and other staff will lose their jobs. We cannot abandon this essential program.”

“I have made it abundantly clear that the offsets proposed to pay for the extension of CHIP and CHCs should not be at the expense of other public health programs. I refuse to pay for them by robbing seniors or low and middle income Americans of their health insurance. The GOP leadership must stop sabotaging the ACA because cuts to the Affordable Care Act will cause more Americans to lose their health insurance or increase the cost of insurance.”

The Jewish Renaissance Medical Center (JRMC) is a community health center - one of 23 federally qualified health centers in New Jersey. It is dedicated to delivering preventive and primary medical services to the underserved and the uninsured population in a culturally competent environment. The Jewish Renaissance Family of Organizations was founded in 1995, and the JRMC was first funded as a community clinic in Perth Amboy in 1999. In 2000, JRMC became the first faith-based medical center in the nation to receive FQHC designation from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Pallone, Sweeney, Vitale Highlight Critical Need to Extend CHIP Funding at Children’s Specialized Hospital

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, along with Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Joseph Vitale, visited PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick to discuss the importance of extending funding for the for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The officials held a roundtable discussion with hospital staff and families currently benefitting from CHIP to highlight the critical need to continue funding this essential program.

Frank Pallone Jr.

Congressman Pallone was one of the original authors of the 1997 CHIP program, which has traditionally garnered strong bipartisan support at the federal and state levels, and has grown to provide health coverage to more than 8 million pregnant women and children, including over 185,000 in New Jersey. New Jersey Family Care is also funded through CHIP and serves over 800,000 children throughout the state. If Congress does not act, however, funding for the program is set to expire in September 2015.

“CHIP is responsible for providing millions of children across the United States with access to the high-quality and affordable healthcare that they need in order to grow up to be healthy adults,” said Congressman Pallone. “But without Congressional action, funding for CHIP will expire next fall, which will jeopardize the health coverage of millions of children whose families cannot afford to purchase coverage for them on their own. Congress must act now to continue funding for this essential program, so that no child loses coverage.”

“No child should be denied the ability to see a doctor or get the medical care they need and no pregnant woman should go without health care,” said Senator Sweeney. “The CHIP program has been one of the most important and successful health care services in the country and in New Jersey. In caring for low-income families. Federal funding should be renewed and state support should be maintained.”

“Pregnant women now enrolled in CHIP could lose coverage and pre-natal care,” said Senator Vitale. “They are from low-income families and they don’t qualify for Medicaid so they could be left without health care at a time when they need it most. When children have health insurance, they are sick less frequently and for a shorter duration and are more likely to attend and perform well in school.”

Last week, Congressman Pallone introduced legislation, supported by every Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which would extend funding for CHIP for four years, through 2019, to protect coverage for millions of children and families, and strengthen the program by providing states with secure funding and new tools to improve enrollment and retention.

The bill, the CHIP Extension and Improvement Act of 2015, makes a number of program improvements to reduce bureaucracy and increase state flexibility. The legislation maintains the 23 percent “bump” increasing states’ matching rates and the maintenance-of-effort provision so that states do not change Medicaid and CHIP eligibility standards. Among other improvements, the legislation provides states with a permanent option to use “Express Lane Eligibility,” which reduces administrative burdens for both states and beneficiaries.

A Senate companion bill was also introduced last week by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Bob Casey (D-PA) and was supported by every Democrat in the Senate. The bill, entitled the Protecting & Retaining Our Children’s Health Insurance Program Act of 2015 (PRO-CHIP), would also extend CHIP funding through 2019.

Pallone, Democratic Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Continue Children’s Health Insurance Program Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2014

Bill ensures CHIP coverage for millions of children through 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, every Democratic member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee – led by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the full committee, and Congressman Gene Green (TX-29), Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee – introduced legislation to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2019. Without this legislation, no new funding for the CHIP program will be available after September 2015. Congressman Pallone was one of the original authors of the 1997 CHIP program, which has traditionally garnered strong bipartisan support at the federal and state level, and has grown to provide health insurance to more than eight million children as well as pregnant women today.

“CHIP provides children across the country the high-quality and affordable healthcare services they need in order to grow up to be healthy adults. Since 1997, it has proven vital for millions of American children and their families,” said Pallone. “Congress must continue funding for this essential program, so that no child loses this coverage. This legislation sends a strong message from Democrats on Energy and Commerce that we must provide states with the certainty of four more years of funding in CHIP, and I intend to work vigorously with all of my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to get this done without delay.”

“With CHIP funding set to end on September 30, 2015, Congress must act without delay to stabilize and protect this essential program,” said Green. “CHIP is absolutely critical to meeting the health needs of millions of our nation’s children and families. Currently, over eight million children are covered through this program and nearly 600,000 in Texas. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to introduce this legislation, and I’m hopeful that members can once again come together to ensure that States are able to continue operating their programs.”

The bill, the CHIP Extension and Improvement Act of 2015, makes a number of program improvements to reduce bureaucracy and increase state flexibility. The legislation maintains the 23 percent “bump” increasing states’ matching rates and the maintenance-of-effort provision so that states do not change Medicaid and CHIP eligibility standards. Among other improvements, the legislation provides states with a permanent option to use “Express Lane Eligibility,” which reduces administrative burdens for both states and beneficiaries.

A Senate companion bill was also introduced Thursday by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Bob Casey (D-PA). The bill, entitled the Protecting & Retaining Our Children’s Health Insurance Program Act of 2015 (PRO-CHIP), would also extend CHIP funding through 2019.

Pallone Calls on Congress to Extend CHIP Funding in Lame Duck

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing about the future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), the Ranking Member the Subcommittee on Health, called on Congress to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) before the end of the year at the hearing.

“Without Congressional action, funding for CHIP will expire next fall, which will jeopardize the health coverage of millions of children throughout the country whose families cannot afford to purchase coverage for them on their own,” said Pallone. “We have an opportunity right now to come together and extend funding for the program through 2019. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting action during this lame duck session.”

Below is the full text of the statement Congressman Pallone submitted at the hearing:

Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr.

Committee on Energy and Commerce

Subcommittee on Health

Hearing on “The Future of the Children's Health Insurance Program”

Opening Statement

December 3, 2014

“Thank you, Chairman Pitts. I am glad that we are having this hearing today and very much look forward to making progress toward ensuring the continued success of CHIP. It is a vital program that provides coverage to 8.1 million low-to-moderate income children throughout the Nation who are unable to afford or are not eligible for other forms of coverage.

Without Congressional action, funding for the program will expire next year. This would inevitably lead to gaps in coverage for some and lack of coverage for many others. So we must have a conversation now about providing funding as soon as possible. In fact, I would urge my colleagues to consider an extension during the lame duck – to ensure predictability to the many states that have come to rely and appreciate the CHIP program. I don’t think anyone would argue that CHIP should not be extended. So let’s get it done.

CHIP was created in a Republican-controlled Congress in 1997 as a joint federal-state undertaking so that states could help determine how best to design and administer their own programs, and ever since, it has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support. This historic support from both sides of the aisle was reflected in the responses to Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman's recent letter to the Nation's Governors. Across red and blue states, including some that did and some that did not proactively implement the ACA, Governors overwhelmingly support the extension of CHIP funding.

I have a bill – H.R. 5364, the “CHIP Extension and Improvement Act of 2014” – that would achieve this purpose while also instituting reforms that would enable states to eliminate administrative burdens and increase quality of care.

By funding the program through 2019, we would provide states with more time to plan for the future, putting them in a better position to ensure that there are no disruptions in affordable and comprehensive coverage for those families who depend on the program.

Furthermore, the consequences of this coverage are far flung. Not only do state governments depend on this funding, it will also support economic activity stemming from providers who provide care to children, as well as mothers who are able to keep themselves and their children healthy and thus won't need to take off time from work in order to care for their sick children.

In my state of New Jersey alone, over 800,000 children are served by New Jersey Family Care, which is funded by CHIP. For these families, getting coverage on the private market is still out of reach – a sentiment that is supported by both GAO and MACPAC, who have shown that even with cost sharing, CHIP is the most affordable and comprehensive form of coverage for these children, especially those with complex health needs.

This is true for the millions of American families who rely on the program, so I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting action this lame duck to fund CHIP for the next four years.

Thank you.”

Pallone, Waxman Introduce Legislation to Continue Children’s Health Insurance Program Funding, Protecting Coverage for Millions of Children

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman introduced legislation to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2019. Without this legislation, no new funding for the CHIP program will be available after September of 2015. Reps. Pallone and Waxman were among the original authors of the 1997 CHIP program, which has traditionally garnered strong bipartisan support at the federal and state level, and has grown to provide health insurance to more than 8 million children as well as pregnant women today.

Ranking Member Pallone noted, “CHIP is responsible for providing millions of children around the United States with access to affordable health care. Unless Congress acts to continue funding for this essential program, many children will lose their coverage by October 2015. The legislation I wrote with Mr. Waxman would provide states with four more years of funding to ensure our young people will have access to the care they need.”

“CHIP is critical for ensuring health insurance coverage for millions of children is affordable and accessible,” said Ranking Member Waxman. “Without it, many children could lose coverage. Our legislation provides states with the certainty of an additional four years of funding, ensuring there are no disruptions to children’s coverage, and provides important flexibilities to further streamline states’ CHIP programs.”

The bill, the CHIP Extension and Improvement Act of 2014, makes a number of program improvements to reduce bureaucracy and increase state flexibility. The bill provides states with a permanent option to use “Express Lane Eligibility” which reduces administrative burdens for both states and beneficiaries and would also allow states the flexibility to use this option to enroll adults. States that are currently using this flexibility, which is set to expire next year, have reported significant administrative savings. According to a Mathematic evaluation of Express Lane, states using this process experienced an average of $1 million per year in recurring net savings.

An important theme of the bill is increasing participation among eligible children. CHIP has directly contributed (along with Medicaid) to a record low uninsured rate among children. The CHIP legislation would also continue a program that rewards states for adopting best practices and exceeding enrollment targets. In addition, the bill includes a focus on primary care and prevention, extending federal support for a boost in Medicaid payments for primary care services and strengthening preventive benefits.

Extending CHIP funding through 2019 is critical because of the benefit and cost sharing protections the program offers for children. A recent examination of CHIP benefits commissioned by First Focus found that CHIP provides robust coverage of child-specific services and critical cost sharing protections.

For additional background information, click here. For a section-by-section summary, click here. For the bill’s text, click here.

Pallone Rallies New Jerseyans to #GetCovered Starting Oct. 1

New Brunswick, NJ- Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, touted the upcoming opportunity starting October 1 for New Jerseyans to sign up for affordable health care coverage through the new marketplace made possible by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Pallone was joined Tuesday at the Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick with the hospital’s President and CEO, Amy Mansue and also Justine Ceserano, New Jersey State Director of Enroll America, whose mission is to maximize the number of uninsured Americans who enroll in health coverage made available by the ACA.

The open enrollment period for the first year of the new online marketplaces runs from October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. For those who enroll by December 15, health coverage will begin on January 1, 2014. In New Jersey, more than 610,000 people will be eligible for the new health insurance premium discounts in 2014.

“Next Tuesday, the new online Marketplace, healthcare.gov, will be open for business, providing New Jerseyans with a very simple and fast way to get health insurance that will meet their needs, their lifestyle, and their budget at any income level,” said Pallone. “Today, over 900,000 or 13% of New Jersey’s non-elderly residents are uninsured, but very soon, that number will begin to drop when hundreds of thousands of New Jersey’s hard working families can gain some peace of mind when it comes to affording their health care and getting the coverage they need.”

Also beginning October 1, 395,000 more New Jerseyans will be eligible for coverage through Medicaid expansion thanks to the ACA. This applies to people with the lowest incomes – those with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

“Two-thirds of the nation’s children who are uninsured are eligible for either Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. Their parents are working but do not have insurance and therefore they think their children don't have access to health coverage,” said Amy B. Mansue, president and CEO, Children’s Specialized Hospital. “Having one system that will easily determine if they are eligible and the price of the premium is a huge step forward in helping our children receive the quality healthcare they deserve.”

Pallone also spoke about the many ways New Jerseyans are already benefiting from the ACA like, for example, health plans are now required to allow parents to keep their children under age 26 without job-based coverage on their family coverage. Over 70,000 young adults in New Jersey gained or were able to keep their insurance coverage as a result of these provisions.

Americans looking for health coverage should go to www.healthcare.gov. If they have questions, they can call 1-800-318-2596, a toll-free hotline open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Pallone Announces More than $3 million to NJ Community Health Centers

Grants Will Help Uninsured Gain Coverage

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced $3,387,083 in grant awards from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to New Jersey health centers to enroll the uninsured in new health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. New Jersey’s health centers served 467,913 patients last year, 43 percent of whom were uninsured. The health centers in New Jersey that are awarded these funds expect to hire 69 additional workers, who will assist 73,201 people with enrollment into affordable health insurance coverage.

“Community health centers are an absolutely essential tool in expanding coverage to 30 million more Americans as part of the Affordable Care Act, and these grants will be instrumental in New Jersey’s effort,” said Congressman Pallone. “With these awards, uninsured consumers will get help understanding their coverage options through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.”

The following grants will be awarded in New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District:

• $117,619 to Monmouth Family Health Center in Long Branch
• $180,649 to the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center in Perth Amboy
• $138,849 to the UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway
• $100,635 to Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Community Health in Asbury Park

“Community health centers attend to the unique health needs of hard-to-reach populations and have a significant impact by improving health in our communities. These health centers provide a fundamental value and a huge return on investment to the health care system and the country as a whole,” added Pallone.

The grants to New Jersey came as part of a larger $150 million awarded by HHS to health centers in all 50 states to help individuals apply for health coverage. For a full list of health centers receiving this funding, click here.

Pallone, Menendez, Lautenberg Applaud CMS Decision to Qualify CHIP Parent Populations as “Newly Eligible” for Expanded Health Coverage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

New Jersey will receive enhanced federal funds for the health coverage expansion made possible by the Affordable Care Act 

WASHINGTON DC –Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today praised the decision of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to qualify New Jersey parents previously covered under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as “newly eligible” for the NJ Medicaid State Plan, thanks to the expansion of coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The new policy will enable New Jersey to receive increased federal funds to help cover parents beginning in 2014.

The Affordable Care Act will expand coverage to 32 million more people, and nearly half of that expansion will occur through the Medicaid Program. Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) determines the amount of federal matching funds for state expenditures for medical services under Medicaid. To prevent states from shouldering the costs of the expanding health coverage, in 2014, the Affordable Care Act ensures that the federal government covers 100 percent of the costs of individuals “newly eligible” for health coverage under Medicaid.  New Jersey had previously been paying 35 percent of the cost of providing health insurance for these parents.

“In order for New Jersey to ensure the health of our children, we must take steps to ensure that their parents are healthy too,” said Pallone.  That’s why I have advocated tirelessly to have these parents included as ‘newly eligible’ for Medicaid, which will help provide New Jersey with crucial additional funding to expand quality health care.”

“FamilyCare is critically important for the health of New Jersey children, as well as their parents, so I’m very glad that the federal government has recognized New Jersey’s past leadership in covering parents and ensuring healthy families,” said Senator Menendez, “As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, it was my priority as part of the Affordable Care Act to ensure that New Jersey received its fair share of federal reimbursement for having already covered this population, and this announcement of enhanced funding, including 100% federal funding for the first two years, accomplishes that goal.  Now these families can rest assured that they will be able to continue to receive the care they need.”

"This ruling is big win for New Jersey and another example of how the Affordable Care Act is working to benefit families in our state," stated Lautenberg.  "As New Jersey is struggling to pass a budget that upholds basic services for working families, this federal relief will ensure that thousands of New Jersey parents have access to affordable, quality health care."     

Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Reform, Works As It Approaches 2nd Anniversary

I wrote the following article appearing today over at NewJerseyNewsroom.com:

March 23rd marks the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and while many on the “right” attack its passage as being an attempt to “socialize” America’s health care system and an affront to their personal freedom of choice to decide what’s best for them, it is important to remember what it will mean to millions of seniors, children, small business owners and the rest of us if the Affordable Care Act law is watered down or abolished.

 For seniors, the ACA has meant that they will not have to worry about falling back into the prescription drug “donut hole.” It means keeping seniors healthy by giving them preventive care without a co-pay or a deductible. And it means that 32.5 million seniors received one or more free preventive care services, including an annual wellness visit. Screenings for bone density, diabetes and certain cancers were part of these wellness visits. All of which means that health problems can be detected and treated sooner.

 For children, the ACA ends some of the worst insurance company abuses, such as denying children care because of a pre-existing condition. As many as 17 million children under the age of 18 have some type of pre-existing condition. It eliminates cost-sharing for preventive health services and requires insurers to cover, at no cost, comprehensive screenings and preventative care for children as defined by the “Bright Futures” standards issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, including well-child visits. The ACA also extends funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through September 30, 2015. Without the Affordable Care Act, many states would have cut funding to this program that provides critical services to children.

For small business owners, the ACA lowers health costs for small businesses by allowing them to band together in health exchanges that will be created in each state. This will allow small business owners to receive the same rates as large companies, saving them on average 18 percent on premiums. The ACA also lowers the cost of providing health care by providing tax breaks to small businesses. Currently, 4 million small businesses have access to tax credits to help with the cost of health premiums. This in turn means that small businesses now have an opportunity to offer their employees coverage, and they do not have to put the costs of providing health care over hiring more workers.

As for the rest of us the benefits provided by the Affordable Health Care Act may not be as obvious but they are no less significant. Individuals no longer need to feel “job locked” because of fears of losing health coverage due preexisting health conditions of themselves or loved ones. They will have access to quality care regardless, giving them the freedom and security to pursue any job that they may want, which in turn will help boost our economy. And beginning next year, the ACA will bar insurers from establishing lifetime coverage limits on the dollar value of coverage. In other words, if you have a catastrophic health event, insurance companies cannot cap payouts leaving individuals without coverage.

 Furthermore, the ACA has provided the government with the necessary tools to crack down on the waste, fraud and abuse of Medicare and Medicaid. In the past two years the government has recovered over $8 billion through fraud prevention and enforcement that has helped offset the cost of these programs for the American public.

 The Affordable Care Act works. Today millions of Americans have access to affordable health cover that they did not have access to before. It must be protected from those that wish to play political games that will take away all the benefits that so many are currently receiving as a result of it.