As a result of former President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, millions of Americans have been put in the difficult position of having to choose between basic needs and insurance.

Since its implementation, Congress has made progress in reducing the burdens placed by Obamacare, and I will continue to support common sense approaches to improve health care. 

I believe people with preexisting conditions should be covered under the health care system and patients must have the right to choose their physician, pharmacy and services, rather than the government making that choice for them.

To lower the cost of health care, it is imperative that Congress immediately implement tort reform. Tort reform would make changes to the civil justice system reducing a person’s ability to bring frivolous lawsuits. Tort lawsuits have driven countless medical practitioners out of the field and resulted in escalated medical costs for all Americans.

I supported the American Health Care Act of 2017. This act would repeal Obamacare and replace it with a far more equitable solution that would benefit small businesses and Americans struggling with health care costs. By repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, Americans would save more than $770 billion in tax hikes, and it would reduce the burdens placed on small businesses.

In July 2019, I voted to repeal the Middle Class Health Benefits Real Act. The bill eliminated a tax, often referred to as the “Cadillac tax,” which put an undue burden on more than 181 million working Americans who have health insurance as part of their employment.

I cosponsored the bipartisan bill H.R. 3502, the Protecting People from Surprise Medical Bills Act. This bill requires health insurers to fully disclose all in-network and out-of-network deductibles and out-of-pocket maximum limitations on the back of insurance cards. This bill also prohibits health care providers from billing individuals at out-of-network rates in the event of an unexpected emergency visit.

This great state of Texas is abundant with small rural communities, which is why I fully support programs that improve incentives for students and doctors that choose to practice in areas that face a shortage of health professionals. Incentives will encourage a stable medical workforce for our rural communities. Finally, I am continuously working on improving the Medicare and TRICARE doctor reimbursement rates to ensure our senior and military families are able to receive the medical care they need and deserve.