KENNEDY FIGHTS REPUBLICAN PLAN TO RAISE HEALTH PREMIUMS AND TAKE AWAY THE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT ALL AMERICANS DESERVE PUSHES FOR REAL HELP TO SMALL BUSINESS, MENTAL HEALTH PARITY, LOWER DRUG PRICES, AND MEDICARE FOR ALL

Washington, DC: Today the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee is considering a Republican plan that would raise the premiums and lower the benefits for millions of Americans who already have health coverage today. Although the bill has been presented as legislation for small businesses, the effects of this bill go far beyond the “small business plans” and would sweep away important protections for patients in every state-regulated insurance market. Senator Kennedy opposes the plan and will offer amendments to improve it, starting with mental health parity. Kennedy and his colleagues have offered an alternative bill to give small business real help and assistance to provide meaningful health coverage. “Health care should be a right, not a privilege,” Senator Kennedy said. “Unfortunately, for millions of Americans, the bill before us will do more harm than good. For far too many of our citizens, it will result in higher health costs and fewer benefits. The Democratic plan gives small businesses real help and assistance to provide meaningful health coverage. It cuts the cost of coverage by helping businesses with expensive health costs and by providing tax credits for health care. And it does it without making everyone else in America pay the price.” Because the Republican bill will sweep away the mental health protections that the citizens of 39 states worked years to secure, Senator Kennedy first offered an amendment to make mental health parity a priority in health insurance nationwide. Senator Kennedy said, “If you have bipolar disorder or attention deficit or any of a host of other treatable conditions, and live in one of the 39 states, you may have to return to the days when you tried to cope without treatment. We cannot allow this to happen. There is no reason in 21st century America that we should treat physical illnesses differently than mental illnesses.” Kennedy also offered other amendments to solve the health care crisis in this country such as fixing Medicare Part D, offering Medicare for all Americans, and allowing small businesses to buy drugs at the same price that the Veterans Administration does. Below is a summary of the Republican plan, Senator Kennedy’s opening statement from the hearing, and summaries of his mental health parity amendment, his Medicare for All amendment, his Part D Fix amendment and his VA drug prices amendment.