Health Care
Health Care Reform
On March 21, 2010, Rep. Israel voted in favor of comprehensive health care reform legislation. The legislation was passed in the Senate and signed into law by President Obama. Click here to read the bill.
As a result of the health care reform law, constituents in New York’s Second Congressional District on Long Island will benefit in the following ways (click here to download the full NY-2 fact sheet):
- Improved coverage for 485,000 residents with health insurance.
- Tax credits and other assistance to up to 81,000 families and 21,000 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
- Improved Medicare for 102,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
- Extended coverage to 23,000 uninsured residents.
- Guarantee that 8,900 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
- Protection for 1,000 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
- Allowing 50,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
- Reduced cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $23 million annually.
View a timeline on the implementation of the health care reform law.
View Rep. Israel’s Q&A on the health reform legislation.
Help for Cancer Patients
Rep. Israel co-chairs the House Cancer Caucus. In this leadership role, he has introduced several bills to benefit cancer patients. You can watch Rep. Israel’s remarks at a Susan G. Komen Rally for the Cure.
In the 111th Congress (2009-2010), Rep. Israel’s bills included the Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act of 2009 (H.R. 716), which requires health care plans to ensure routine care coverage (doctor’s visits, lab work, etc) for patients undergoing a cancer clinical trial; and the Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 1927), which provides Medicare coverage for a 1 hour educational session for newly-diagnosed cancer patients. This session will help patients and their caregivers understand their disease and the effects of their treatment.
Taking on the High Price of Prescription Drugs
Affordable health care is increasingly dependent on affordable prescription medicines. Unfortunately, the cost of prescription drugs is increasing at double-digit rates. Rep. Israel believes we should fund research on the effectiveness of cheaper alternatives to heavily marketed drugs. He is also fighting the powerful drug lobby in Washington to permit the re-importation of safe, legal drugs from Canada, where American consumers can pay up to 50 percent less for their prescriptions.
Rep. Israel has also been a leader in ensuring counterfeit prescription drugs are eradicated as a threat to the American consumer. In June 2009, Rep. Israel re-introduced Tim Fagan’s Law (H.R. 2726), which expands FDA authority to crack down on counterfeiting and increases criminal penalties for counterfeiters. To hear more about the legislation, watch Rep. Israel’s video blog.
Protecting and Strengthening Medicare
On April 15, 2011, the House passed a budget resolution (H.Con.Res.34) that would end Medicare as we know it. Rep. Israel voted no and is strongly opposed to this plan. The proposal, introduced by GOP Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, replaces the current Medicare program with a voucher system that would force seniors eligible to enter the program in 2022 to buy their own costly private insurance. The Senate voted against the Ryan Budget on May 25, 2011.
Rep. Israel believes that Congress and the White House must work together on a plan that will protect and strengthen Medicare, but that ending Medicare’s guaranteed benefit must be taken off the table.
Helpful Links
More on Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC—Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Steve Israel (D-NY) today marked the close of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month by highlighting the need for this disease to stay in the consciousness all year long. DeLauro and Israel annually introduce a resolution urging designation of September as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Washington, D.C. — Today Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) applauded North Shore-LIJ Health System for being one of the 12 recipients of a Health Care Innovation Award from the Department of Health and Human Services. The grant money, totaling nearly $2.5 million, will be used to support the health system’s “Healthy Transitions in Late Stage Kidney Disease” program, which seeks to improve late-stage chronic kidney disease costs and outcomes.
Rep. Israel to Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Designate this Week as Food Allergy Awareness Week
Oyster Bay, NY—Today, Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) announced that he introduced a bipartisan resolution in Congress expressing support for the designation of May 11-17, 2014 as Food Allergy Awareness Week. Along with supporting the goals and ideals of raising food allergy awareness, this resolution would encourage the President to issue a proclamation of support, encourage media organizations to participate and raise awareness, and reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to research and recognize those affected by food allergies.
Washington, D.C.— Today Rep. Steve Israel (D–Huntington) announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will withdraw the proposed rule for Medicare Part D. This decision comes in the wake of a letter that Rep. Israel and more than 30 of his House colleagues sent to CMS calling on them to withdraw the proposed change to Medicare drug coverage rules that would have limited seniors' choice of prescription drug plans and medications.
Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the designation of February 4th as National Cancer Prevention Day. Israel is the founder and co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus and has long fought to raise awareness of cancer prevention.
Washington, D.C.— Today, Representatives Steve Israel (D-Huntington), Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) commended the Treasury Department for ensuring fair treatment for volunteer firefighters under the Affordable Care Act, known to many as Obamacare.
Manhasset, NY— Today, Congressmen Steve Israel (D-NY) and Chaka Fattah (D-PA) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dedicated to creating a partnership in neuroscience research, and in particular, research on Alzheimer’s disease. Signers of the MOU included the Feinstein Institute in Manhasset, Cold Spring Harbor Lab in Cold Spring Harbor, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, Temple University in Philadelphia, and Israel Brain Technologies in Ramat Hasharon, Israel. Representatives from all the institutions were present. Both Reps.
“More than 55,000 Long Islanders are living with Alzheimer’s and as the Baby Boomer generation ages that number is expected to skyrocket,” said Rep. Israel. “This forum brings together leaders in research, treatment and advocacy for an update on how we are progressing in the fight against Alzheimer’s. And there is good news, in January legislation I fought for, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, became law, creating a coordinated national plan to overcome the Alzheimer’s crisis.”
“Anytime there is a tragedy, such as the shooting in Tucson or the disaster in Japan, we need to ask ourselves: are we prepared? Because we know that emergency preparedness saves lives,” said Rep. Israel. “A Red Cross survey found that one in four people have found themselves in a situation where someone needed CPR. In Tucson, one intern’s knowledge of first aid helped ensure my friend Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ survival. I’m proud to join the Red Cross to talk about the importance of emergency preparedness and what we can do in Congress and in our community to be ready for any situation.”