Health Care Archives - Congresswoman Cheri Bustos

Making Health Care More Accessible and Affordable

Health care is a deeply personal issue to me.

My sister-in-law, Barb, died several years ago without health insurance. Barb and her husband both worked full-time, but they couldn’t afford health insurance and when she got sick, she couldn’t afford the most effective cancer treatment she needed to survive.

Even those who can afford insurance are not immune to the extremely high costs of operations and prescription medications. A few months after my sister-in-law passed away, my brother Danny died, leaving behind a wife and two daughters. His insurance would not cover his cancer treatment because an experimental drug was required. No family should have to go through the suffering my family did. That’s why I’ve consistently supported legislation to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable and strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Another major issue across our nation are societal factors that lead to negative health outcomes, like access to care and racial disparities. We’ve seen this borne out in the 17th Congressional District, where many residents in Peoria lack access to healthy food following the closure of grocery stores. Many in the District also include lack of access to care caused by physician shortages and long drives to the doctor in rural areas.

That’s why I have introduced the Social Determinants Accelerator Act, which would provide funding to communities to combat these issues and help drive positive health outcomes. As a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, I am committed to pushing for Health and Human Services funding that will improve access and quality of care in our communities.

More on Health Care

Press Release

September 14, 2022

Bustos Votes to Improve Health Care for Seniors, Cut Red Tape

Bipartisan legislation would reform prior authorization process to make it easier for seniors to get the care they need WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), voted to pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, legislation that would make it easier for Illinois seniors to get the health care they need. The bill would modernize the antiquated […]

Press Release

August 31, 2022

Bustos Releases Reports on Inflation Reduction Act Cost Savings for Local Families

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) released reports detailing the cost savings local families will see following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The landmark legislation ensures access to lower health insurance premiums and more affordable prescription drugs for Medicare recipients. “For far too long, Americans have been forced to choose between paying for health care – including […]

Press Release

August 12, 2022

Bustos Votes to Pass Inflation Reduction Act

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17),voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, a transformative legislative package to lower families’ health care, prescription drug and energy costs; all while reducing the national debt by $300 billion to ease inflation. Having passed the Senate last week, the bill now heads to the White House for President Biden’s signature. “For years, […]

Press Release

July 27, 2022

Bustos Votes to Advance Telehealth Access

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a longtime champion for increasing telehealth availability, voted to pass the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act – bipartisan legislation to ensure that Medicare patients can continue to access telehealth services beyond the current public health emergency. The White House has announced its support for the legislation through a Statement of Administration Policy. “Every […]