Press Releases

(As prepared for delivery)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to the work of Democrats, we’ve reached historic health care milestones that are improving Americans’ health and well-being. More Americans have health insurance today than ever before, with 4 out of 5 people being able to access high-quality care for less than $10 a month.

The American people have trusted us when it comes to protecting their health care, for good and obvious reasons. This Committee is the birthplace of these sacred promises that were made to the American people, and Ways and Means Democrats will never back down from defending the economic security and peace of mind that we’ve given workers and retirees from political threats.

I never miss the opportunity in quiet moments here to reflect upon a portrait on the wall to my left, of Mr. Mills, the Chairman of the Committee from Arkansas, [who] embraced the idea of Medicare. Even though his enthusiasm was limited at the beginning, when Lyndon Johnson got done, his enthusiasm was necessary to get Medicare over the goal line, always recalling that Medicare is an amendment to the Social Security Act. As President Biden noted the other night, there will be no changes on his watch to the guarantees of these initiatives. While today’s hearing is an important look at an emerging form of health care, we want to make sure there are no efforts that would dismantle the ACA or the health care system as we’ve improved it.

Home-based care played a key role in connecting Americans with medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be a point of focus for policymakers, with more services being offered in the home. As we examine the current use and potential expansion of home-based care services, this Committee must consider how these services impact patient outcomes, health equity, taxpayers, and caregivers and implement data-driven solutions that promote value for beneficiaries. What we pay for and how we pay for it will affect patients’ costs and access to care for the foreseeable future.

Promoting health equity in home-based services is a priority for any Medicare expansions. Current infrastructure weaknesses make it impossible for rural and underserved communities to rely on telehealth and other home-based care. Democrats delivered a generational investment in our nation’s infrastructure with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but we must continue to work towards fully connecting rural and underserved communities with access to home-based health care.

Caregivers must also be at the center of this policy discussion. We have more than 48 million family caregivers in America, too many of whom find it difficult to coordinate care for their loved ones. While care in the home can help caregivers in coordinating care, care in the home can also rely on already overburdened caregivers as they must help attend to their loved ones’ daily needs.  

Four years ago, nearly to the day, our country locked down in the face of great uncertainty.

The following months consisted of heartbreak that took too many lives and stretched our health care system like never been before, all while some ignored science and put millions of lives in danger. When President Biden took office, that life returned to normal. We did what needed to be done to get shots in arms, get millions of people back to work in record time, and ultimately, put the health and well-being of the American people first. His progress and promises continue to be outstanding, and we certainly will never go back.

I’m grateful to the witnesses for being here today, they are well chosen, and we look forward to hearing their testimony.