On the Issues:
Health Care
Too many Americans- men, women, and children- lack access to affordable and accessible health insurance. Rep. Frelinghuysen is committed to working with members across the aisle to find health care solutions that work for all Americans.
The Congressman has met with citizens, nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals who repeatedly ask for choices in their medical coverage. A “one-size-fits-all” program, run from Washington, simply won’t work for the people of New Jersey. Rep. Frelinghuysen has voted to expand health care coverage and build on the strengths of our privately run system.
The Congressman has voted five times for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHP). These plans allow similar businesses and groups to band together to purchase health insurance. In doing so, small businesses are able to pay a reduced rate and allow their employees access to health care.
Rep. Frelinghuysen also supported the creation of Health Savings Accounts (HSA). HSAs allow people to save, tax free, for future health care costs.
With Rep. Frelinghuysen’s active support, Congress enacted the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act in 2003. The passage of the bill was an historic step in health coverage as 38 million older Americans were given access to prescription drug coverage for the first time and 650,000 in New Jersey.
In 1997, Rep. Frelinghuysen supported the creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation provides health insurance to children and families whose income is too high for Medicaid coverage and too little to afford private insurance.
Rep. Frelinghuysen has also been an advocate for fairer treatment of mental illness, drug, and alcohol abuse. He was a co-sponsor of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which became law in October of 2008. This landmark legislation requires group health plans to cover treatment of mental illness, drug, or alcohol abuse equally to medical and surgical benefits.
For the past several years, Rep. Frelinghuysen has been a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. He remains committed to protecting cancer patients and helping them receive the highest level of care possible. This includes increasing the federal role in research that will help find treatments and, ultimately, cures for cancers and all diseases. In New Jersey, he works closely with groups like the Kaleidoscope of Hope to support cancer research. He also supports the work done at the Carol Simon Cancer Center, New Jersey Cancer Institute, and Somerset Medical Center.
Rep. Frelinghuysen also knows we must do more to stop preventable illnesses. Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death in America and thousands of children have their first cigarette every day. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which Rep. Frelinghuysen is and has been a cosponsor of, will give FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products in order to keep tobacco manufacturers from enticing young people to smoke and to assist current smokers in quitting.
In New Jersey, Rep. Frelinghuysen works to provide greater access to health care services and information.
The Congressman has met with citizens, nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals who repeatedly ask for choices in their medical coverage. A “one-size-fits-all” program, run from Washington, simply won’t work for the people of New Jersey. Rep. Frelinghuysen has voted to expand health care coverage and build on the strengths of our privately run system.
The Congressman has voted five times for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHP). These plans allow similar businesses and groups to band together to purchase health insurance. In doing so, small businesses are able to pay a reduced rate and allow their employees access to health care.
Rep. Frelinghuysen also supported the creation of Health Savings Accounts (HSA). HSAs allow people to save, tax free, for future health care costs.
With Rep. Frelinghuysen’s active support, Congress enacted the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act in 2003. The passage of the bill was an historic step in health coverage as 38 million older Americans were given access to prescription drug coverage for the first time and 650,000 in New Jersey.
In 1997, Rep. Frelinghuysen supported the creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation provides health insurance to children and families whose income is too high for Medicaid coverage and too little to afford private insurance.
Rep. Frelinghuysen has also been an advocate for fairer treatment of mental illness, drug, and alcohol abuse. He was a co-sponsor of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which became law in October of 2008. This landmark legislation requires group health plans to cover treatment of mental illness, drug, or alcohol abuse equally to medical and surgical benefits.
For the past several years, Rep. Frelinghuysen has been a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. He remains committed to protecting cancer patients and helping them receive the highest level of care possible. This includes increasing the federal role in research that will help find treatments and, ultimately, cures for cancers and all diseases. In New Jersey, he works closely with groups like the Kaleidoscope of Hope to support cancer research. He also supports the work done at the Carol Simon Cancer Center, New Jersey Cancer Institute, and Somerset Medical Center.
Rep. Frelinghuysen also knows we must do more to stop preventable illnesses. Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death in America and thousands of children have their first cigarette every day. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which Rep. Frelinghuysen is and has been a cosponsor of, will give FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products in order to keep tobacco manufacturers from enticing young people to smoke and to assist current smokers in quitting.
In New Jersey, Rep. Frelinghuysen works to provide greater access to health care services and information.
- Secured funding for St. Clare’s Hospital in Denville to build a state-of-the-art pediatric facility. St. Clare’s serves a particularly underserved population that is growing at 14 percent per year.
- Works closely with Operation Medication Awareness on their annual event to educate older Americans about medications and health care.
- Secured funding for improved electronic health records at Somerset Medical Center.
- Obtained federal funds for the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital.
- Hosts annual health seminars: The 2008 event was conducted with the Health Care Institute of New Jersey and the Kaleidoscope of Hope and focused on ovarian cancer research.
- Works with the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus to hold an annual event providing free screenings and information services.
- Supported increasing the federal role in research for diabetes. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Diabetes Caucus, he has long supported increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) which study and research diabetes.
- Supports the Zufall Health Center in Dover.
Breaking Down the Number of Uninsured:
Uninsured 45.7m
(U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey, 2007)
Non-Citizens -9.5m
(Health Insurance Coverage: Characteristics of the
Insured and Uninsured Populations in 2007,
Congressional Research Service)
(Health Insurance Coverage: Characteristics of the
Insured and Uninsured Populations in 2007,
Congressional Research Service)
Eligible for Public Programs -12m
(National Institute for Health Care Management
Foundation analysis of data from the March 2007
Current Population Survey)
(National Institute for Health Care Management
Foundation analysis of data from the March 2007
Current Population Survey)
Higher Income (+$84,108/yr) -7.3m
(National Institute for Health Care Management
Foundation analysis of data from the
March 2007 Current Population Survey)
Only Temporarily Uninsured -9.1m
(uninsured for less than 1 year - 1999 and 2002
National Survey of America’s Families
(nonelderly population))
(uninsured for less than 1 year - 1999 and 2002
National Survey of America’s Families
(nonelderly population))
______
American citizens, lower income,
long-term uninsured 7.8m
American citizens, lower income,
long-term uninsured 7.8m
Rep. Frelinghuysen understands the importance of increasing access to health care for all Americans, but he knows we must be thoughtful with how we do so. We must be careful to build on the strengths of our health care system and not make matters worse by turning over our choice in doctors and services to the federal government.