Health Care
Congresswoman Sanchez is a firm believer that every American, and particularly every child, should have access to quality medical care. She was a proud supporter the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill, which was signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009. The SCHIP law will preserve healthcare for the 7 million children who are currently covered by SCHIP and extend coverage to an additional 4 million uninsured children who have been eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.
Congresswoman Sanchez is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was signed into law in 2010 by President Obama. In Orange County, health care reform will improve coverage for over 250,000 residents, improve Medicare for 51,000 beneficiaries, give tax credits to more than 17,000 small businesses to help them afford coverage and allow over 60,000 young adults to stay on their parent’s health insurance plans if they choose. Congresswoman Sanchez believes that the ACA delivers affordable and quality care to every American and she will continue to work to preserve health care reform.
Medicaid
Congresswoman Sanchez is a strong supporter of adequate funding for the Medicaid program. Over 55 million Americans, predominantly those who are lower income or have disabilities, rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. Congresswoman Sanchez supported the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 which became law nearly 3 years ago, and which supports the continuation of health care access for beneficiaries but also prevents a devastating loss of funding to states, public hospitals, and local schools.
Medicare
Millions of senior citizens depend on Medicare+Choice (M+C) plans for health care. Reducing payments to Medicare providers does not take into consideration a disproportionate increase in the cost of health care. Representative Sanchez opposes any further cuts in the payments to Medicare providers and supports restoring Medicare funding. She recognizes the importance of bipartisan support for efforts to recalibrate the payments for M+C plans.