(Nashua, NH), Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Health, kicked off her hospital listening tour at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua. Kuster will visit hospitals throughout New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District as she meets with patients and physicians to identify policies that will expand access to quality, affordable healthcare. Kuster has been vocal about the need to make improvements to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to lower costs for consumers. On the Energy and Commerce Committee, Kuster has called out the Trump Administration for sabotaging the ACA and highlighted the potential impact of President Trump’s policies on individuals with pre-existing conditions like Bodhi Bhattarai of Contoocook, New Hampshire.

“I’ve heard from many Granite Staters about the need to reduce the costs of healthcare and prescription drugs,” said Kuster. “There are improvements we can make to the ACA to help ensure every family is able to access quality, affordable healthcare throughout our state. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’m excited to help craft legislation to expand access to affordable care. We also must stand up to the Trump Administration’s efforts to sabotage the law. The perspective of our local healthcare providers and patients will be crucial as we identify areas where we can make improvements that will work in a variety of healthcare networks.”

This month, Kuster introduced the Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Act (HR 986) with Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08) and Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), which would revoke Section 1332 guidance released by the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on October 22, 2018. That guidance weakened protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Kuster has focused on working across the aisle to improve the Affordable Care Act. She’s also backed the Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act, which would expand access to Medicare to allow people aged 50 to 64 to buy into the program and authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate volume discounts on prescription drugs. Kuster has also unveiled proposals to address the cost of healthcare and stabilize the individual marketplace and has pushed back against partisan efforts to undermine the ACA.

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