On the Issues

Health Care

Everyone has a story about health care.  For Chris, it was the birth of his son.  The caring, compassionate nurses at St. Francis Hospital saved Chris’s son life.  Chris and his wife, Annie were impressed by the professionalism of the nurses, as well as by their steadying presence.  In those moments of worry, they were reminded how important it is to have access to quality health care.

As Chris travels around Delaware, he continues to hear stories of Delawareans who have been affected by the lack of affordable and quality health care insurance.  That is why Chris supports the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

Though the new law is far from perfect, it attacks two of the main problems in health care: access and affordability.  By ending discrimination for pre-existing conditions, providing individual and small business tax credits for health care premiums, closing the Medicare Part D donut hole, and allowing young adult dependents to remain covered by their parents, millions of Americans gain better access to health care without the threat of bankruptcy from medical bills.  The Act will give a solid foundation to keep health care reform on track in the United States.

There is still much work to be done.  We must continue to make sure that health insurance premiums start decreasing.  In the U.S. Senate, Chris will work on strengthening our health care system by controlling costs and keeping health insurance premiums down.  Chris will fight to keep Medicare intact.  He will oppose the taxation of employer-provided health insurance.  And he will fight vigorously against any legislation that will attempt to repeal this historic legislation.

We also must invest more in health innovation, to ensure that our healthcare system is ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  This includes investments in health information technologies.  Continuing and increasing investment in these technologies will enable doctors to coordinate care through electronic health records.  Doctors will be able to access accurate and complete information about a patient's health and give the patient the best possible care, whether during a routine visit or a medical emergency.  This investment also will give patients and their families fuller control over their healthcare decisions, help doctors to diagnose health problems sooner, reduce medical errors, and enable doctors to provide safer care at lower costs.

Chris strongly believes in balancing innovation with consumer protection, which is not possible without more support for the Food and Drug Administration.  The FDA is increasingly stretched thin in reviewing and making decisions about life-saving drug treatments that are based on our ever-expanding understanding of biology, genetics, and pharmacology.  Chris supports efforts to expand staffing at the FDA in order to shorten review times while continuing to ensure patient safety.

We also must reorient our healthcare system towards preventative care.  Chris supports efforts such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s programs to encourage of healthy eating and household gardens to better link and promote successful local programs currently underway across our country.

Thousands of Delawareans have risked their lives in service to our great nation.  Hundreds of our men and women in uniform are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan without proper health care and medical treatment.  We must never leave behind those who have risked their lives to preserve our freedoms.  We must expand the diagnosis and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries for military veterans.