health care system. likewise, an improperly managed veteran community care program has resulted in some veterans receiving substandard care. congress and v.a. must work together to resolve existing issues impacting veterans health care. improvements need to be made expeditiously to ensure veteran patients receive quality timely care. most important is to maintain a veteran focus health care system for service disabled veterans who rely exclusively on vha for their health care needs. ensuring v.a. specialized care and services remain available as part of honoring the commitment to those who serve pretty we look forward to working with you and the committee. this concludes my formal statement. >> thank you for your testimony and for your continued presence before member's of this committee when we are meeting. >> thank you chairman moran. ranking number blumenthal and sting was committee member's for this opportunity. since 2003 wounded warrior project is been looking to transform the way america's injured

but she doesn't have health care. and so she's literally caught up in the gap between the refusal of the state of georgia to expand medicaid and these onerous work requirements in states like georgia, she's sick. too sick to work and she's being asked to prove that she can work or that she is working. so that she can get health care. why to give elon musk? and people like him a tax cut ? let me put this in perspective and and closing nobody believes the baptist preacher when he says in closing. i was proud that we got $14 billion to help these states to expand medicaid. elon musk has got $18 billion. and incentives from our federal government. and he's the one who's telling us that the rest of us need to tighten our belts. this, this is backwards. it's not only immoral, it's impractical. we're making the american workforce sicker and weaker. which i think ultimately is a national security issue. and so we've got to straighten out this mess and center the people, people like heather pay ne who's waiting right in this v

life saving surgery, the health care system in this country is made for profit is not about caring about the health of the citizens. it's about squeezing every drop of money that every done that a person has. the people in the us have been dealing with a health care system dominated by private insurers for years. they've been facing sky high costs and endless clean denials. but the recent killing of the united health care c u in december last year has broth renewed attention to just how much anger people feel for the industry that seems to care more about prophets than their patients. joining us today to give us some insight into america's health care system, our doctor, eric reinhardt, is social psychiatrist, who is also a political unto apologist and bailey and vincent, a writer dancer, and choreographer was battling cystic fibrosis. and who's going to tell us more about that? thank you both so much for your time. bailey. let me start with you. you have a hearing impairment as a result of your medical condition. and so you are reading my lips right now, which makes your participation i

we have give us the health care and health insurance covers pretty much most of it. basically, would you say women are disproportionately affected by the current context? yes, very much. so my, my best friend is an occupational therapist. she has worked really hard her whole life. she's worked with deaf children and she just had her 1st baby and got a $30000.00 bill. and that's as someone who spent her life just pouring back into society and for community, which is a travesty. also, when it comes to women, we have obviously the risks that come with our reproductive health care. but we also end up often sometimes. sorry, dr. reinhardt, but we end up living longer than we had long or live that's not accounted for in our health care. we have, we often spend our time caring for other people's needs, so we're less likely to tend to our health care needs. as far as i know, and we often make less, not we do make less, and so that alone, all does the contribute to. yes, it's very difficult to be a woman and america and have any really at all. and some other shocking numbers.

i'm all for ivf and all health care. i think health -5.. s.hould. . 5.5.5. .. . eeror everybody. ww it is cheaper for everybody. that has fought tooth and that has been fought tooth and nail by big corporations, by peoleewwwwwww w w wwwwwwww www www by people witwowwww w w wwwwwwww www www w w w w wbybééfileihslré w billionaires, by people who are closest to but ctesest te trurttet hut—this 75 be a divisive question could be a divisive question for him and his base, i agree with that. i for him and his base, i agree with that-— with that. twantedto . . about with that. iwantedtoask - about that - with that. iwantedtoask - about that point, | robbie about that point, because there will be some of because there tuitt .he serge of republican party because there tuitt tee serge of republican party who because there tuitt be serge of republican party who won't the republican party who won't like �* ., ., ., like this. i'm not hearing a lot of opposition _ like this. i'm not hearing a lot of opposition from - like this. i'm not hearing a lot of opposition from this| 7a=

it is a very important part of our health care network. and yet many of these have come to me and said that they're basically going to be laying off providers and other folks that are providing direct care to patients. one community health center's ceo in greater minnesota outside of the metro area said that it was the worst day of his 38-year career when he got word of this freeze. now, i understand, mr. president, that this freeze has been unfrozen for now, at least in some cases, though in other cases it seems like it's back on again. in fact, i hear repeatedly that it's off and on and off and on in some sort of chaotic and confusing dance that they have started. but these clinics are still facing real challenges about getting access to their federal funding. and this is threatening their operations. imagine if you were running a -- like a small belt strap -- bootstrap and small little health center and every day you are just trying to make payroll. you don't have millions of dollars sitting in your bank account waiting for a rainy day.

and then because she was a traveling nurse, some days she had health care, someday she didn't have health care. she went enough to get conventional medicaid any program she was eligible for cost between $500 in $1000 a month. it was too much. one day she realized something was happening to everybody. she knew something wasn't right. she saved up enough money of her own cash to finally go and see a neurologist. at neurologist said you have actually had a series of mini strokes that require additional care. here she is, she needs additional care, but he does not health care. and so she is literally caught up in the gap between the refusal of the state of georgia to expand medicaid in these onerous work requirements in states like georgia. she is sick, too sick to work, and she is being asked to prove she can work or that she is working so that she can get health care. why'd they give elon musk and people like him a tax cut? let me put this in perspective and close, and about his future when he says 'in---- baptist preacher when he says "in closing." elon musk has got $18 billion in incentiv

i hope he goes wild and finds a way to reduce the cost of health care. i hope he goes wild and instead of having the discussions we have had for the 10 years i've been in the senate of making medicaid work and making people on medicaid healthier, i hope he goes wild and figures out how to do it because the status quo has not achieved much in the way of gain. i hope he goes wild on food safety discussions so that we can actually improve our food safety supply. i hope you goes wi-- he goes wild on the health care supply chains and in fact tries to make sure that drug prices go down instead of bludgeoning pharmaceutical companies, get everybody in the room and make sure we do this right, reduce the cost of bringing a vaccine to market, reduce the cost of bringing drugs and therapeutics to market, look at the full supply chain, and somebody with a legal mind may do that. he is no health professional. in fact, he is the first, i believe since i've been alive, who is not a health care professional and a scientific sense. but he is a professional in terms of ca

it's a catastrophic mistake for america's health care. now, i'll admit my state is a global leader in medical innovation. from research to biotech to getting drugs to the market. in 2023 the national institutes of health awarded $1.2 billion in highly competitive grants to 60 different organizations in the state of washington. this supported about 12,000 jobs and generated close to $3 billion in economic activity. so, yes, we know a little something about global health and innovation. but we know something else, mr. president. the kind of research we're talking about here is the kind that saves lives. and this ultimately is about making an investment and saving the lives of people. last friday when the trump administration announced it was reducing crucial funding for nih grants, you're talking about our medical institutions that need this to build services and equipment, train the next generation of researchers. for example, as i mentioned, the university of -- washington state university avian flu. they actually help pay for backup gener

besides that, health care it's really not health. health care, as you know, is to treat acute illnesses, not to long-term problems. another approach we are taking is to leverage with partners. while we have expertise in health care, there are great companies out there with expertise in ai and the leverage, the data we have to get better value for patients. rep. murphy: i agree with that completely. the fo -- aca gave coverage but not health care. the cost of health care has skyrocketed and i look at the number of patients i see that are on government assistance and sadly enough, we have to double book and triple booked those. you cannot get people to show up until it is too late. yes they can see a doctor. if there are appointments to be made. if they don't show up, guess what? they don't get their health care. looking at things like medicaid for fraud, waste, and abuse. when i see a 35-year-old guy on medicaid the rest of his life because he has a little back pain ic waste, fraud, and abuse every day. it is ok to come reset and look

health care to people who need help, with lower costs, cut it? out asking a question? without examining what community health centers do? meat axe. meat axe. that's what they're doing. or let's look at programs like pepfar, in the a.i.d. program. they want to cut the whole a.i.d. other programs stop things like ebola in central africa. if ebola is left unchecked, it could spread to america, from uganda to around the world today. there are flights from kampala all over the world. even if you oppose foreign aid on a policy ground, most people believe that pepfar and the programs fighting ebola in central africa are effective and cost effective and make us more secure. god forbid ebola spreads to the united states. you want to see what government waste looks like? it doesn't look like those two programs. thanks to doge, here's what government waste looks like that doge has created. thanks to doge, half a billion dollars in food assistance through usaid is sitting in ports and ships in warehouses unable to move. and so the bottom line is simple. if yo

on other health care matters from abortion to universal health care mr. kennedy has changed views so often it is nearly impossible to know where he stands on so many of the basic issues. in a gob smacking statement of irresponsibility, in november of 2023, mr. kennedy said that he wanted to pause infectious disease research for eight years. mr. kennedy has indicated he is open to restricting access to the abortion medication meta prestone which remains a primary target of the republican crusade against reproductive freedom. i took this on back in 1990. science was clear then and is even clearer today. it is safe. the only reason it was under question in 2025 is because people with a political agenda have been out lying about it. women deserve to know if mr. kennedy will abuse his power as our country's cheap health officer to essentially implement a national abortion ban by restricting access to the safe and legal medication. meanwhile as the trump budget office threw the medicaid program into chaos yesterday, republicans in congress are proposing deep cu

[applause] a few comments about health care. the people of our state continue to ask us to make health care more accessible and affordable for everyone. so over the past two years, we have made greater investments to strengthen and extend our health care system to help those in need. one of the ongoing challenges, as you know, is to attract and maintain enough health care providers in our state. the hawai'i physician workforce assessment project's december 2023 report estimated we have an unmet need of 757 physicians statewide. to address our state's shortage of health care professionals, we launched the healthcare education loan repayment program, our help, which is the acronym. it's state funded. it's been a great initiative and it's provided $30 million for educational loan repayment to more than 900 providers licensed or certified to practice in the state hawai'i. in exchange for a the two-year commitment of service in our state, a diverse list of health care professionals has been able to get these loan repayments for up to

he led efforts to strengthen mental health and substance use care and make public health care systems more efficient and effective. before that, dan was the medicaid director in massachusetts leading reforms that improved access to care for millions of people. and before that he worked in the private sector designing and implementing innovative models to improve health care for all americans. he understands what it takes to make a public health system work not just in theory but in practice. his experience is broad but his commitment to patient and communities is clear throughout. now he brings that expertise and dedication to san francisco . and in our last meeting i will say that he walked into city hall and i looked and i said can we go walking? and we got up and we walked through the tenderloin and seeing him and his compassion right then and there knew it. i knew that he was the right person to lead this department. the work ahead is urgent. and dan and i agree we cannot afford to let bureaucracy slow us down. but while behavioral health is critical, it is only part of the mandat

it's health care. and it's health care for kids. it's health care for seniors.wo out of the three nursing home beds in vermont are covered by medicaid. we have these cuts, those people get kicked out of the nursing homes. we cut medicaid, kids who are totally dependent on medicaid for access to the health care they need lose their care. it's really, really a problem everywhere, but i think in rural communities it's even more severe because we've got rural hospitals and we've got rural community health centers that play a major role in rural life. they're all on thin ice financially. they have overworked staff but who are committed to the people in that community. and the only reimbursement they get is through medicaid. and as we all know, the medicaid reimbursement is much lower than medicare and certainly way lower than private insurance. but they pull it together and somehow keep the lights on, keep the doors open, and provide the health care that the folks in that community need. you know, another point i want to make -- and, mr. president, i know you served

last year are we enacted the health care protection act, allowing doctors and patients to make their own medical decisions without interference from insurance companies. it'll save illinoisans money while improving the quality of medical care in the state. this year we will take it a step further, we'll stop insurance companies from blocking access to mental health. we can do that by banning prior authorization for all behavioral health care. [applause]" rural illinois families and those who live far away from certain medical care, we will require insurance reimbursement for reasonable travel costs associated with medical appointments when the distance traveled exceeds network efficacy requirements. [applause] the days of unchecked health insurance greed are coming to an end here in illinois. predatory practices are being dismantled one by one, and we will lower the cost of health care for working families. [applause] one of the biggest affordability challenges people are facing is housing. amid the construction supply chain challenges of the last few years along with higher interest

a streamlined agency designed to address our state's most pressing health care needs. this agency will include the office of mental health to expand access to behavioral health services and ensure better coordination of care for 1/2's most vulnerable residents. we're building a system where families can trust they will find the care they need closer to home. where providers want to practice and where every investment enhances the health and prosperity of our state. [applause] because health care is more than just a service, it's a lifeline. it's an equalizer. it's a promise that no nevadan, no matter where they live, will be left behind. in 2023, we delivered the largest investment in k-12 education in nevada's history. we did it because we believe every nevada child deserves an education that prepares them for careers, college and life. we've invested the money, a lot of it. we made a solid commitment to students, families and educators, together we ensure that students facing the greatest challenges, those learning english, or those at risk of falling behind, or those

i would like to know why san francisco made this switch away from united health care. what was the rubber stamping that went on here? something is very wrong in san francisco when you are not able to take care of your elderly 100 year old people not a phone call, not a warning, nothing. now every year we have to justify this. i will be back next month with an update on the y2k impacts. he also is no longer eligible for picc lines for infections that he needs to treat at home . what type of system have you put in place here? what genius negotiated the deal with san francisco? with regard to the united health care switch, no 100 year old person or 85 year old person should have to justify 30s remaining under the current plan that they need a 5% white skin patch. we have i have had to negotiate this for both my mother and my father. when i spoke to the lovely lady on the phone from the field she told me that the welcome calls that were supposed to be given to all of the people that were being converted were canceled due to the overwhelming overload of phone calls that were

to offer you a few examples. 20 million americans, 700,000 of them here in illinois, will lose health care coverage if congressional republicans are successful in their effort to cut the affordable care act. and rural hospitals across illinois will be shuttered. the trump administration cut off funding for food safety inspectors for nearly a month, impacting more than seven pulju facilities in illinois. without these inspectors, the supply chain collapses and prices go through the roof. jobs will be lost. meals on wheels programs, which home delivery of 12 million meals per year to 100,000 seniors and people with disabilities in illinois, are on the federal chopping block. this is real. the new administration and the republican congress and elon musk intend to take these programs away. for all illinoisans watching at home, let me be clear, this will affect your daily lives. our state budget can't make up for the damage that is done to people across our state if they succeed. there are people, some in my party, who think that if you just give donald trump everything that he wants, he will m

health care system. many of our facilities operate with unsafe staffing levels, and the nurses are stretched thin. we are exhausted, and many of us feel hopeless. to add to that, we are hearing that the new administration wants to make massive cuts to v.a. how could they even think of doing that? we don't know what that would look like or who all will be impacted, but our nurses are worried about their patients and job security. what we do know is cuts will impact our patients. we will experience longer wait times then we are already doing, have treatments delayed, and will likely see a reduced access to specialized care. additionally, more veterans will be pushed into private-sector care in the community, which is what trump's administration wants. as nurses, we know the best place our veterans receive the care they need is in the v.a. health care system. [applause] >> all right! yeah. jeanette: our patients tell me that every day. as someone who has worked in the private sector come i can tell you, com

a. >> health care, it's so outdated.time for a change. >> at oak street health, we're changing what it means to get older by changing health care for the better. >> i just made this appointment yesterday. >> that's more like it. >> in fact, we specialize in caring for older adults. >> here, every member of your team works together to manage all your health care needs. >> that includes nurses like me. >> and of course, me. her doctor. i take the notes for him so i can spend more time listening to her. >> oak street health focuses on keeping you healthy, so don't wait. call today. >> we even gather all of your medical records and health history. so switching to oak street health is easy. >> does any of this cost extra? >> heck no. >> well, out with the old way of aging. >> and in with the new. >> call (855) 268-2053 to schedule your visit. with the only primary care provider selected to carry the aarp name. oak street health. >> if there's a true crime you think we should know about. call the true crime news tip ine closed

vonnie: the health care segment of the s&p 500 is only up 1.2% year-over-year. lot of health care investors out there are pulling their hair out a little bit. do you see any improvement in the next year or two under the trump of administration for the sector? salveen: i think right now there are a couple of dynamics that need to be figured out. we are at kind of peak health care policy uncertainty, so we need to have a better understanding. i think many of these larger companies are facing loe's and understanding the sustainability of these models in the context of their own r&d pipeline as well as the ability to do bd is important as well as seeing those earnings numbers after over a three plus year revision cycle start to drop and inflect. for the larger names, that is where the focus is. there is always a relative basis for other groups out there, but i think we need to see strong earnings, we need to see growth and then we need to get some clarity on health care policy. vonnie: and what are your thoughts on what if anything these companies reported would say

health care, too, is a right, but they health care system often treats us as less than human. as many of you know, my wife is an emergency room doctor. give a round of applause. [applause] dr. lauren comes home with stories, lots of stories, of doctors and nurses and physicians assistants and other health care professionals doing selfless and heroic work, but patients are suffering. here in delaware, even dying during the long wait at the emergency room. delawareans are being denied coverage for essential health care. delawareans driving to baltimore and d.c. to get the basic care they need. delaware is not alone, but that does not mean we have to accept this. if washington moves backwards or downwards, we are not going with them. [applause] in delaware, we move forward. i'm going to work every day to make health care in delaware more affordable, more accessible, more reliable, and more innovative, which brings me back to innovation. we are proud of our reputation as a home of thriving business, but we can do even better. starting a business is really hard. i know from experie

merkle: and you believe cutting off health care encourages people to work when they need to get better health in order to work? it doesn't make any sense. it is a failed experiment what you have answered the question and you're still an advocate of that failed approach that traps people in poverty and is quite disturbing. according to the treasury department analysis produced this month, the trump tax giveaways would give an average tax cut of 314 thousand two the richest americans, the top .1%, and six dollars annually -- of $314,000 to the richest americans come the top .1% and six dollars annually -- isn't this backwards? mr. vought: the tax cuts provided tax cuts for all americans and had a sizable increase in the child tax credit, expansion of the standard deduction. it was something that benefited all americans and as a result led to a strong economy we hope to replicate again by having an extension of those important tax cuts. sen. merkle: so you're comfortable with a cup of coffee for the bottom 10% what you give $300,000 to the -- $314,000 to the richest americans? mr. vought:

is the largest health care system in united states. it does a lot of things good. n many cases it does it better , than private care providers could imagine because of the unique status it has. again thank you for that pinky , swear. let's move on to the unpleasant part of my discussion. it has nothing to do with you. i supported every v.a. nominee who has come before this committee and i supported the secretary of the v.a. when i came in in the obama administration. i have had a great working relationship up to and including secretary mcdonough. i have concerns. before he went on to be a v.a. secretary. the implementation of the electronic health record is a bipartisan disaster. there is no way that we should have spent $10 billion to have only a fraction even touched. do i have your commitment to go through that program to get an integrated health chart that also can integrate with the dod so we can finally have a seamless transition from active status to veteran status and provide premium care at the v.a.? rep. collins: what you said about seamless care is a safe

nearly eight million americans receive health care through medicaid and the children's health insurance program which provides critical care throughout all stages of life. medicaid covers everything from childbirth to nursing home care and everything in between. while many americans are struggling to put food on the table, the supplemental nutrition assistance program provides critical support for 40 million americans, including children, seniors, veterans, working parents. all of that will go away through this new tax scam that they are working on? this is in fact a betrayal of the people that elected them. this is a betrayal of all americans and the democratic caucus is not going to stand for it. we're going to continue to inform you and continue to fight. at this time, i want to introduce a great member from the state of new york, mr. tonko. mr. tonko: thank you, stacey. i'm paultoning a and represent the capital region of new york state. earlier you heard ranking member boyle indicate this republican plan does nothing to reduce costs. as a long-standing member on energy and commerce

like the humanity that is so necessary in health care isn't there anymore. >> i didn't go to medical school to learn how to decipher insurance plans. i went to medical school to learn how to take care of human beings. and i would assume that insurance would help facilitate that and not create obstacles. i think there's a good place for insurance, but we've got to have a reckoning. maybe something really good could happen. we'll

vaccine safety, women's reproductive health, drug pricing, and affordable health care to name a few. this leads, mr. president, millions of americans alarmed about the future of health and science in america. last week two oregon medical students approached me to talk about mr. kennedy's nomination. these medical students told me they were less concerned about the damage mr. kennedy would do as hhs secretary in the weeks and months to come. these medical students are not only worried about the prospect of losing cures, treatments, and medical breakthroughs if mr. kennedy is confirmed. these medical students from oregon told me that his unwillingness to take science and medical data seriously is going to harm science for decades to come. so i ask my colleagues to think about those medical students' words. is that a legacy you want to leave behind as a result of supporting mr. kennedy? senate democrats have been making this exact case. in his hearing before the finance committee, i asked mr. kennedy to square his antivaccine views with more recent statements designed to appease a number

especially a child should such should it sit for hours or days in a waiting room waiting for mental health care. we opened up 31 community behavioral health centers across the state. and you know what, they are working. they are there, providing 24-hour, dedicated crisis care. they've made a difference, helping more than 30,000 young people so far, and we'll keep supporting that work. [applause] we also need to do more. we need to meet students, young people, where they are. that is in schools, among other places. it is really important. so i want to work to make sure we are funding behavioral health support and growing net support in schools across the state. it is going to be a big deal for parents, a big deal for caregivers, and most of all, we had the opportunity to change the trajectory in a positive way for a young person in our state. we owe that to our young people. [applause] you know, i wanted to take a moment on that, because i think it is something so many people struggle with, so many families struggle with, mental health. it is so important that we reach out and encourage and empo