Health Care

All Americans must have access to affordable, quality health care that builds on what is currently working and fixes what is broken.
- Congressman C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger

Congressman Ruppersberger believes we must reign in out-of-control insurance costs, protect seniors and help businesses provide insurance to employees. In addition to advocating tort reform, he supported legislation that:

  • Ensures the 9,900 residents in our district with pre-existing conditions like cancer, heart disease and diabetes will no longer be denied insurance coverage.
  • Prevents your insurance company from cancelling your coverage if you get sick.
  • Limits your annual out-of-pocket cost, prohibits lifetime limits and reduces the cost of preventive care.
  • Allows young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance policies until they turn 26.
  • Provides free preventive and wellness care to seniors as well as half-price brand name prescription drugs. It will also reduce and eventually eliminate the donut hole in Medicare Part D.
  • Strengthens the Medicare Trust Fund for another decade.

Congressman Ruppersberger fights for strong Medicare and Medicaid systems. He:

  • Supports legislation to include more prescription drugs in Medicare D coverage.
  • Supported legislation to block 21% cuts in Medicare physician payments and wants a permanent fix to the formula used to calculate reimbursements to physicians.
  • Supports numerous Medicare and Medicaid protections, such as repealing the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps, restoring Medicaid discount drug prices for university-based and safety-net clinics, authorizing physical therapists to evaluate and treat Medicare beneficiaries without a requirement for a physician referral and improving access to emergency medical services.

Congressman Ruppersberger continues to emphasize a “prevention first” approach. He:

  • Voted in favor of the “Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act,” which expands health care coverage to about 11 million children.
  • Advocates funding for cancer screening and education, heart disease and medical research.
  • Supported legislation to grant the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the  marketing and manufacturing of tobacco and stop cigarette companies from targeting kids.
  • Helped pass legislation to fundamentally change the way we protect our food supply and close gaps exposed by recent food-borne illness outbreaks.