Medicaid to 26 coverage for former foster youth creates parity with young adults who can stay on a parent’s plan until the same age. The Trump Administration has filed suit to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care for millions of Americans who would not otherwise afford insurance, Casey said. The provision in FDASIA based on the Creating Hope Act established a pilot program that incentivizes the development of new drugs for rare pediatric diseases. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is calling for a modern-day 'GI Bill' for health care workers who have made sacrifices to protect the Nation against the virus. Northumberland County Commissioner Kymberly Best noted the recent closing of Sunbury Community Hospital in her county, leaving many people without a nearby health care facility and some 150 who worked there without jobs. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), two members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced a bill to prevent shortages of essential medical devices during a national emergency or public health epidemic. As part of his efforts to protect Americans from efforts to threaten affordable health care, Senator Casey continues to publish reports that every American can use to educate themselves on the topic. Copyright © Williamsport Sun-Gazette | https://www.sungazette.com | 252 W. Fourth Street, Williamsport, PA 17703 | 570-326-1551 | Ogden Newspapers | The Nutting Company, “Republicans talk about it (Medicaid) as a problem to be managed,”, “That’s the official Republican position for many years now. Senator Casey believes that all Americans, regardless of age or income, should be able to access the prescription drugs they need to be healthy. He has repeatedly fought against partisan schemes and attempts by the Administration to undermine the consumer protections and coverage options provided under the law, and will continue to push for commonsense, bipartisan solutions that will increase access and bring down the cost of health care. State Services Medicaid Medicaid is the United States health program for families and individuals with low income and resources. 232). In recent years, the NIH budget has increased $2 billion – $3 billion per year as a result of this bipartisan effort. APPRISE is a service for Pennsylvanians age 60 and above, regardless of income. Today, U.S. Please do not hesitate to call Senator Casey’s Harrisburg office at (717) 231-7540 or visit http://casey.senate.gov/constituents/casework/. Federal It does so by funding pediatric emergency care improvement projects in every state and territory, including Pennsylvania. 6, this coverage is was not guaranteed for former foster youth who moved across state lines. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, is joining U.S. In 25 of the state’s 48 rural counties, the hospital is the largest or second largest employer, according to Casey. Read More, To support the Americans on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Each year, he leads a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter calling for sustained funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Casey said COVID-19 has only worsened the health care coverage crisis for Americans. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a list of policies that Congress should include in the next coronavirus (COVID-19) legislative package in order to protect and support children and families during a public health emergency. Locally elected and appointed officials voted on the following matters in the past two weeks: Senator Casey strongly believes that the rising cost of health insurance is one of the greatest challenges that facing families struggling to make ends meet. Transportation for accessing health care poses a particular challenge for seniors, Indiana County Commissioner Sherene Hess said. In 2017, more than 4.6 million beneficiaries reached the coverage gap and saved more than $5.7 billion on their medications due to the prescription drug discount program. If you are a senior and require assistance enrolling in Medicare or paying for your prescription medication, please contact the Pennsylvania Department of Aging APPRISE Program at 1-800-783-7067. He supports a number of measures to give consumers choice and the ability to obtain affordable health insurance, including: A public option for health insurance in on the ACA marketplace. Senator Casey authored the Creating Hope Act, and advocated for its inclusion as part of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), which passed in 2012. Specifically, he is a co-sponsor Senator Stabenow’s legislation, the Medicare at 50 Act (S. 470). “I am a proponent of Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania.”. 115-271). Senator Casey has also supported legislation to increase funding and create new funding streams for federal medical research programs, including the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016. These savings averaged about $1,237 per person. The ACA is increasing access to health coverage for Americans and established new protections for people who have health insurance. Read More, Today, U.S. Senator Casey introduced the bipartisan Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act, which would help people new to Medicare prevent costly enrollment mistakes that lead to lifetime premium penalties and gaps in access to health care coverage. Held multiple press calls and events in Washington DC and across Pennsylvania highlighting how the various Republican plans to decimate Medicaid would hurt seniors, people with disabilities, children, rural hospitals, nursing homes and many others. People living in such communities as the Northumberland County community of Herndon must now drive at least 45 minutes to reach a hospital. You can access those simple, reader-friendly reports here! Senator Casey authored the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Reauthorization Act of 2014, which became law and reauthorized the EMSC program through fiscal year 2019. The Health Insurance Association of America describes Medicaid as a "government insurance program for persons of all ages whose income and resources are insufficient to pay for health care." He was a strong supporter of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a list of questions President Trump should be asked during his town hall. Between 2010, when the ACA began to address the donut hole, and 2016, Pennsylvanians saved a total of $1,596,783,339 billion on prescriptions drugs. Senator Casey is a champion of the Medicaid program and opposes proposals to cap funding or turn the program into a block grant. “Republicans talk about it (Medicaid) as a problem to be managed,” he said during a teleconference with the media. He worked to ensure CHIP would be maintained and strengthened during the debate on healthcare reform; and he strongly supported extending funding for CHIP in 2015 and 2018. “We need more Democrats to win elections,” he said. If you need health insurance and are under age 65, please visit the health insurance marketplace at www.healthcare.gov for information on how to find health insurance, when to enroll, determine your family’s eligibility for Medicaid, CHIP or a subsidy for private insurance, and other resources. Because this program was set to expire in September 2016, Senator Casey also authored the Advancing Hope Act, which provided an extension for the program when it was signed into law. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he has led a delegation of Pennsylvania's Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey, joined by his colleagues, sent a letter to the Trump Administration pressing the Coronavirus task force on the steps it is taking to protect children, assist early care and education providers to operate safely and minimize economic disruptions during the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak. Read More, U.S. In Pennsylvania, Medicaid is administered through the Department of Human Services. Senator Bob Casey released a report detailing how President Trump and Congressional Republicans' efforts to destroy, dismantle and defund the ACA and Medicaid expansion will lead to more illness and higher costs associated with the coronavirus. “That is the political battle ahead of us as far as Medicaid and other political battles.”, Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. In 2017, he led the charge to preserve access to community-based services and nursing home care provided through Medicaid for millions of people with disabilities and older Americans. Read More, Today, U.S. The new law also banned annual and lifetime limits on insurance coverage and expanded Medicaid, which serves as a lifeline to care for low-income … They want to end Medicaid expansion.”, “When you cut Medicaid, you not only hurt health care, you are losing jobs,”, “We need access to local affordable health care in Northumberland County,”, “Healthy communities contribute to a healthy national economy.”, “Instead of dismantling programs, we need to bring quality of life to people,”, “I am a proponent of Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania.”, “We need more Democrats to win elections,”, “That is the political battle ahead of us as far as Medicaid and other political battles.”. U.S. Over the past several years, Senator Casey has: Led the opposition to Republicans plans to decimate the Medicaid program by repealing the expansion and transforming the program into a per-capita cap/block grant. Casey accused Republicans of attempting to slash the government program so vital, he noted, to providing health care to senior citizens, children and low-income populations. He has repeatedly demanded accountability from drug companies that have made unreasonable drug price hikes, and supports legislation to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Gary Peters (D-MI) in unveiling the COVID-19 "Heroes Fund," Senate Democrats' proposal for the provision of pandemic premium pay to reward, retain and recruit essential workers. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on the Trump Administration to use its existing authority to allow states to temporarily expand coverage and services under Medicaid in an effort to fight the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, joined with community leaders Thursday in the fight to prevent potential cuts to Medicaid. Senator Casey has consistently supported efforts to close the Medicare Part D "donut hole" to reduce the burden that seniors and people with disabilities face in affording the prescription drugs they need. Read More, Today, U.S. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments and managed by the states, with each state currently having broad leeway to determine who is eligible for its implementation of the program. Senator Casey introduced the Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act, a version of which was later incorporated into H.R. Representatives in a letter calling out the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for unfairly allocating funds created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help hospitals and other providers. Senator Casey is a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Finance, both of which oversee policies and programs related to health care access. He wanted to question … Senator Casey supports allowing prescription drug importation from Canada and other countries with similar regulations to ensure drug safety and effectiveness. Open season, when anyone can enroll, occurs annually in November and December, but you may be able to enroll at another time if you experience a change like losing another source of insurance, getting married/divorced or having a baby.