Health Care
Overview
The Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare”
For decades, I have worked hard to reform our nation’s broken health care system. In 2010, I voted for a comprehensive health care reform bill, the Affordable Care Act, to provide better care and lower costs over time. The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t solve all our health care problems, but it’s an important first step. Like any other major legislation in Congress, we should continue to make improvements to the law.
Elements of the new law are being phased in over several years, and we’ve already seen a lot of changes. Children with pre-existing conditions such as asthma are no longer denied coverage. Starting in 2014, no one can be denied coverage for a pre-existing coverage. 
More: View an interactive timeline of all of the changes, key features of the law, and other information on the law’s roll-out.
Protecting Medicare
Medicare is a vital and sacred program, but it’s on a fiscally unsustainable course. According to the Social Security and Medicare Actuaries, the Medicare Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2030. We must keep it strong and sustainable for our seniors and for future generations.
In order to protect Medicare, we must first know how it works. My bill, the Medicare Information Act, would provide every American with an annual snapshot of their lifetime contributions and a summary of their estimated benefits. Many people don’t realize that they will likely withdraw much more from Medicare than they paid in.
More: To view how Medicare is financed, check out this website.
It’s important to find waste and abuse in the Medicare system, and that’s why I am a co-sponsor of the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare Expenditures (PRIME) Act. The PRIME Act would enact stronger penalties for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, curb improper or mistaken Medicare and Medicaid payments, improve waste and fraud prevention strategies and improve the sharing of anti-fraud data across state and federal agencies and programs.
Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription drug abuse is a large and ever-growing problem that drives up health care costs, takes lives, and eats away at communities. Tennessee is one of the worst offenders, and that’s why I co-sponsored the Pill Mill Crackdown Act, a bipartisan bill to increase penalties for distributing controlled substances illegally.
Promoting Innovation & Accessibility
Innovation and accessibility are vital to improving the quality of our health care system. From new electronic medical records that will streamline patient care to continuing research for cures to disease and access to the most effective medicines, we must continue finding ways to make the system better.
I also support initiatives to increase awareness, access to treatments and research for major health problems like diabetes and cancer.
More: Cooper's Skin Cancer Caucus Facebook Page
More: Cooper sends letter to support Special Diabetes Program
Investing in Scientific and Health Care Research
Basic science, the seed corn of innovation, is primarily supported by the federal government — not industry, which is typically more interested in applied research and development. But at a time when other countries are increasing investments in science and technology, basic science is at risk.
I’ve supported increases for NIH funding for years and helped launch national awards in 2012 to promote major breakthroughs from science and medical research.
More: Read all about the “Golden Goose Awards”
Links & Additional Resources
Health Care Law - Explore both private and public health coverage options and learn more about the new health care law.
Plan choices for small businesses - A resource on insurance plan choices for small business owners.
Food Safety - Get alerts on life-saving food recalls and helpful tips for keeping food safe, from the trusted source for food safety information.
My Medicare - Medicare's free, secure online service for accessing personalized information regarding your Medicare benefits and services.
Insure Kids - Find Tennessee-specific information about health insurance coverage for children under Medicaid and CoverKids, Tennessee’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Let's Move for Healthier Children - Join America’s move to raise a healthier generation of kids. Tennessee ranks fifth in the nation for overweight or obese children.
Department of Health & Human Sciences - Engage with the HHS as it makes its operations more transparent to the public.
Hospital Compare – Compare hospitals in your area based on patient feedback and quality of care measures.
Nursing Home Comparison – Detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country.
Stop Medicare Fraud – Learn how to prevent and report Medicare fraud.
More on Health Care
WASHINGTON – In light of the Ebola outbreak, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) today signed a letter raising concerns about insufficient funding levels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Joined by nearly 50 House Democrats, Cooper added his signature to a letter addressed to the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for setting funding levels for federal agencies. The letter implores the House panel to prioritize programs related to investment in medical research and response to public health emergencies.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) today applauded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for awarding more than $10 million in grants to fight gender bias in medicine. Vanderbilt University will be one of the research centers chosen to study gender differences.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper on Wednesday hailed the news that a celebrated Nashville-based health care leader was appointed as a Senior Advisor to U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson.
Dr. Jonathan Perlin is Chief Medical Officer and President of Clinical Services for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). He provides leadership for clinical services and improving performance at the company’s 162 hospitals, as well as more than 800 outpatient centers and physician practices.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) and U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis (WY-1) today introduced a bipartisan bill that would require the inclusion and separate analysis of both male and female animals, tissues and cells in basic research conducted and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Welcome to our #coopergraphics page. No fancy graphic designers here, just a staff trying to make infographics about what's going on in Congress. We're always looking for new ideas, so send us an e-mail if you have suggestions or questions.
Taxpayers' Right to Know: My bill on duplicative programs passed the House on February 25, 2014. Check out the full GAO report on Duplication & Cost Savings here.
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Jim Cooper announced his support as an original co-sponsor to H.R. 2510, the "Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act" to address the health crisis among veterans who were exposed during their service overseas. The bill would direct the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration to designate three Centers of Excellence to study and treat the effects of burn pits and other environmental exposures on veterans. Cooper issued the following statement:
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Representatives Jim Cooper (TN-5th), Carolyn Maloney (NY-12th), Peter Roskam (IL-6th), and Charlie Dent (PA-15th) announced the formation of a bipartisan Congressional Member Organization that will focus on addressing a growing epidemic of skin cancer among Americans.
The caucus was established through a collaborative effort led by Representative Cooper and the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS), with support from the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA).
June 28, 2012
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“Most American lawyers aren’t surprised by today’s Supreme Court decision, nor am I. It turns out that Obamacare, Romneycare and Robertscare are the same thing – and constitutional.”
May 10, 2012
By Jim Cooper
Almost every economist agrees that the American health care system is unsustainable. Medical care is so expensive that it is busting all of our budgets -- government, business, and personal. Eventually, the medical price bubble will pop.