Congressman Dingell is the leader among House Members in assuring quality and affordable healthcare for all Americans.
National Healthcare
The Congressman believes health insurance is a right for all Americans, especially in a time where America spends $1.9 trillion on healthcare but still leaves 46 million men, women and children uninsured. That's why Congressman Dingell introduced, as he has in every Congress since being elected in 1955, the National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 15. In 2007 he also introduced with Senator Kennedy the "Medicare for All" Act, H.R. 2034.
As the author of the Patients' Bill of Rights, he is leading the fight against big insurance companies, HMOs and other managed care plans, so doctors, not insurance company bean counters, make medical decisions. He has also led the effort to prevent President Bush's proposed health care cuts in veteran programs.
Healthcare for Women and Children
Congressman Dingell has also worked aggressively to improve health care for women and children. Congressman Dingell co-authored laws that have provided thousands of Michigan children with health insurance under the Children' Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and banned so-called drive-through deliveries for child-birth and reduced the gender gap in health research. In addition to his work on the Mammography Quality Standards Act, he was also influential in passing the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 2000 and the Native American Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Technical Amendment Act of 2001. In 2007, Congressman Dingell and Senator Clinton introduced the Children' Health First Act to reauthorize and expand the CHIP program.
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
Congressman Dingell's legislation to require that Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices passed the House in January of 2007. The Congressman continues to call for a more comprehensive and effective alternative to the President Bush's confusing and wasteful Medicare prescription drug reform. Congressman Dingell's plan is simple, straight forward and would aim the taxpayers' dollars to provide a real Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors. This is far different the President's changes which have provided a massive handout of taxpayer dollars to insurance and pharmaceutical companies and head and heart ache to consumers.
An Economic and Social Crisis
Despite Congressman Dingell's and the Democrats best efforts, the health care crisis has worsened under President Bush and the previous Republican Congress. One of Michigan's largest employers, General Motors, says its health costs are around $1,200 per vehicle, or in other words, more than the cost of steel per car. Congressman Dingell is focused on lowering the cost of health care for employers and employees and ensuring all Americans have affordable, comprehensive insurance.
