Health Care
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Access to affordable prescription drugs is critical no matter what age you are. For seniors currently enrolled in Medicare, choosing the right Medicare Part D plan is often important to access. Every year Medicare open enrollment begins on October 15 and ends on December 7.
Identifying and treating mental illness is a pressing issue in our country. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, while 1 in 25 adults experience serious mental illness each year. As with most conditions, mental illness can afflict anyone.
One of my top priorities is improving health care for rural Americans. Access to high quality, affordable, and available heath care is increasingly lacking in many areas. Empowering providers to better meet the needs of patients and reducing costly and burdensome regulations can go a long way to streamline and strengthen our health care system.
Federal revenue continued at near-record highs in 2018, at $3.33 trillion. Unfortunately, this amount was not enough to cover the $4.2 trillion in spending last year, further exacerbating our $22 trillion in national debt. As President Ronald Reagan said, "The problem is not that the people are taxed too little. The problem is that government spends too much."
Washington, D.C. – In today's Ways and Means Committee hearing on "Medicare for All" Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) spoke out against the proposal, highlighting the massive tax increase it would put on middle class Americans, and the trend of tax-raising proposals recently put forth by House Democrats.
There is no place like Nebraska, and my family has been fortunate to call it home for six generations. The experience of living in a rural area is something not found anywhere else. The wide open spaces, unmatched work ethic, and life-long friendships make our small towns unique. This isn't to say we do not face struggles living in a rural area. My goal since coming to Congress is to provide solutions to these challenges and strengthen rural America for the future.
Prescription drugs are vitally important to all Americans – every one of us included. Advances in science and technology have opened the doors to treat or cure thousands of diseases which not too long ago would have been considered a death sentence.
Access to quality healthcare is among the most important issues facing the country today, especially for aging Americans. In rural areas, such as Nebraska's Third District, this is even more true. Nearly 50 million Americans, or one in seven, rely on Medicare for their healthcare needs in retirement or when disabled. The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, of which I am a member, is responsible for writing the policies which govern Medicare and ensuring it meets patients' needs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), senior members of the House Ways and Means Committee and representatives of rural congressional districts, introduced two bills to improve rural access to healthcare this week.