Political Positions of Harry Reid - Health Care

Health Care

• Disease Research Funding
  • Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007 - S 911, 2007; voted yes; established a childhood cancer research database and advanced biomedical research.
  • Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 – HR 810; voted yes; allows the Department of Health and Human Services to use stem cells for medical and disease research.
  • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – H 1, 2009; voted yes; Included $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health’s research activities for many different diseases.
• Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act – HR 1256, 2009; FDA regulation of the tobacco industry; co-sponsor; voted yes.
• Health Care Reform
  • Patients' Bill of Rights – S 1052, 2001; voted yes; This bill included many of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act, but it did not include an insurance mandate for every American.
  • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – HR 3590, 2010; voted yes; The Affordable Care Act is a major overhaul of the health care system in America. Some of the changes included insurance companies not being able to deny service to those with pre-existing conditions, limit services and put life-time caps on coverage. The bill also included an insurance mandate for every American.
• Medicare
  • Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment – S AMDT 3598, 2000; voted yes; would provide prescription drugs to patients with Medicare.
  • Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Bill – S 1, 2003; voted yes; added prescription drug benefits to Medicare.
  • Medicare Part D Amendment – HR4297, AMDT 2730, 2006; voted yes; Included six month enrollment period for Medicare Part D and that beneficiaries could change plans within a year’s time.
  • Medicare Bill – HR 6331, 2008; voted yes; voted yes to override veto; Expanded Medicare coverage for certain programs and changed regulations involving Medicare fee-for-service programs.
• Prescription Drugs
  • Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act – S 812, 2002; voted yes; introduced importation of prescription drugs from Canada into the United States.
  • State Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion – HR 2, 2009; voted yes; Expanded coverage for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which also included a tobacco excise tax increase from .61 to $1.00 per pack.
• Tort Reform
  • Patient Lawsuit Amendment – S 1434 S AMDT 1250, 1999; Voted no on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000.
• Veterans Health Affairs
  • Health Care for Veterans Amendment – 2005 – HR2863, AMDT 1937; voted yes; established that the Veterans Health Administration be held at the FY 2005 funding level, and would continue to be at that level, while adjusting for inflation and changes in the number of veterans using the program.