Health Care

Health care is a right, not a privilege. Rep. Larson has been focused on ensuring every American has affordable health care. Now, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, more real progress is being made.

Protect and Expand the Affordable Care Act 

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was a major step toward making this goal a reality. Rep. Larson led this initiative as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus during months of debate over the ACA in 2009 and 2010. He fought to keep important provisions that would protect people with preexisting conditions, hold insurance companies accountable, and help families achieve the peace of mind of affordable health insurance. The Affordable Care Act drastically reduced the number of people in the United States without health insurance coverage, including a 41% reduction in Connecticut's rate of uninsured residents in the first few years after coming into effect. 

Rep. Larson believes we can build on the ACA to improve the program. As a Member of the Ways and Means Committee, Larson helped pass legislation to increase ACA tax credits as part of the American Rescue Plan. Doing so saved Connecticut families an average of $2,650. He heard from one constituent who said, “I was paying $1,300 a month for my health care premiums, now I’m paying $20 a month. With the savings I have, I can now optimistically put aside the money I need to educate my two daughters." 

The Inflation Reduction Act has renewed these tax credits through 2025, giving more certainty and peace of mind to Connecticut families.

He is also a supporter of creating a “public option," which would create a government run health care option to ensure there is always a quality, affordable health care plan available and to create market competition to drive the costs down on all plans. Rep. Larson voted for the public option during the creation of the Affordable Care Act and helped author and introduce the Medicare-X Choice Act (H.R.1227), which would create a new public option that would be available as part of the Affordable Care Act. 

Lowering Drug Prices 

Rep. Larson has been a longstanding champion of driving down the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and has introduced legislation that would do so throughout his career. Prior to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare was required by law to pay for prescription drugs at the rate set by drug companies. Now, thanks to that law, the Biden Administration has negotiated the cost of ten of the most expensive prescription drugs, saving beneficiaries an estimated $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs annually. The government will negotiate the cost of more drugs over years, saving Medicare an estimated $100 billion over ten years. 

The Inflation Reduction Act also includes other new provisions to lower drug prices, including a new $2,000 out of pocket maximum for Medicare Part D recipients and penalties if drug prices rise over inflation. 

In Congress, Rep. Larson is sponsoring the Lower Drug Costs for American Families Act (H.R. 4895) to expand these savings to all Americans. 

Expanding Medicare 

Medicare is one of the most successful social programs in the United States. Rep. Larson supports proposals to strengthen and expand Medicare. 

We need to do all we can to make sure the seniors receiving Medicare get the benefits they need to thrive, which includes ensuring services meet the needs of beneficiaries. Rep. Larson is a strong supporter of the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act (H.R. 33) which would finally allow seniors to have those critical services covered by Medicare.   

Protecting Abortion Rights 

Rep. Larson knows that reproductive rights are human rights, and that access to abortion should be treated no differently than any other medical service. However, the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has put countless lives in danger. 

In response, Larson helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 12), which would forbid states and the federal government from restricting abortion services from health care providers. 

Rep. Larson is also an original cosponsor of the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act (H.R. 782), which would prevent states from criminalizing women who travel to other states to get reproductive health care.