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Health Care

Sean believes that everyone has a right to universal high quality, affordable health care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) took a big step toward universal health care by providing more than 20 million additional Americans with access to affordable insurance and by protecting 5.4 million Illinoisans living with pre-existing conditions. However, the work is not done. We need to protect and strengthen the ACA by ensuring that all Americans have health insurance and fix flaws in the health insurance marketplace to make sure insurance options remain available and affordable.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sean worked to pass the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The ARP increased ACA subsidies and helped folks pay for insurance through the marketplace. As a result, approximately 130,500 uninsured Illinoisans were eligible for assistance. President Biden signed the ARP into law in 2021.

Sean also helped write and pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This monumental legislation capped out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors at $2,000 and ensured Medicare beneficiaries paid no more than $35 per month for insulin.

Sean strongly supports expanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits and making these tax credits permanent. He has co-sponsored legislation in support of making these tax credits permanent and has taken steps in the U.S. House of Representative to force a vote on extending these ACA credits to protect access to affordable health care for millions of Americans.

In Congress, Sean:

  • Introduced the Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act to prohibit name-brand companies from preventing generic drug manufactures from putting their products on the market.
  • Cosponsored the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act to make insurance more affordable for low- and middle-income families, enshrine protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and stop Republicans attacking the ACA and driving up costs and the number of uninsured Americans
  • Introduced the FLAT Prices Act to impose penalties on pharmaceutical companies that price gouge consumers.
  • Introduced the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to COVID Treatment to require Medicare Part D plans to cover drugs that treat COVID without cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other utilization management barriers.
  • Cosponsored the bipartisan MOMMA’s Bill to address the maternal mortality crisis by implementing evidence-based practices and policies to improve maternal health outcomes.
  • Cosponsored the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to fill gaps in existing legislation in support of Black maternal health by addressing all aspects of health, expanding eligibility for programs such as WIC, and increasing research into maternal health disparities.
  • Cosponsored the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Act to improve mental and behavioral health and prevent burnout among health care providers.
  • Cosponsored the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act to give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies, stop drug companies from charging Americans more than other countries for the same medication, to create a new, $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and more.
  • Cosponsored the CONNECT for Health Act to permanently expand Medicare access to telehealth services.
  • Cosponsored the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act to remove restrictions for providers to treat substance use disorder.

Sean has heard from constituents across the district about the strain health care costs put on families. He believes that we can have higher quality health care at a lower price by building on the ACA and increasing competition in the insurance marketplace.