Health Care
Patients, families, and doctors know best what meets their needs, and they are the ones who should be in control of health care decisions, not Washington, D.C.
Instead of a Washington-centered approach, we need to look for patient-centered alternatives that increase access to quality health care services at an affordable price.
I agree with Iowans that we need to address the rising costs of health care, particularly when it comes to prescription drugs. On this front, I’m continuing to fight on behalf of Iowans to put the patient first by closing loopholes, increasing competition in the marketplace, and driving down out-of-pocket costs. I’m pleased one of my bills, the CREATES Act – or the Creating and Restoring Equal Access To Equivalent Samples Act – was signed into law to prevent brand-name pharmaceutical companies from stifling competition by blocking the entry of lower-cost generic drugs into the market. Despite this success, I know that the fight to lower costs is far from over. That’s why I will continue to support Senator Chuck Grassley’s bill, the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act, as well as Senator Mike Crapo’s bill, the Lower Costs More Cures Act.
Telehealth is also critical for Iowa families, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Telehealth drastically improves access to health care and is especially beneficial for patients residing in rural areas who are often not able to easily access care. In order to improve patient access to quality health care, I helped introduce the Protecting Rural Telehealth Act. This bill ensures rural Americans are able to continue accessing telehealth to receive care by making permanent current telehealth flexibilities which were granted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Growing up and living in a rural area, I’m very aware of the challenges Iowans face accessing quality health care. Given the demand for doctors, there’s no reason international physicians that have been trained and educated in our country shouldn’t be encouraged to stay and practice in underserved areas. That’s why I support the bipartisan Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, which works to allow special visas for immigrant doctors to work in medically underserved areas.
