Lisa Blunt Rochester is a member of U.S House Representative since 2017. She was born in 1962 and has been actively involved in various political positions since 1989. From working for Tom Carper as an intern to the deputy secretary of the department of health and social services and secretary of the department of labor, Lisa has served the United States in many capacities. In 2017, Lisa was elected to represent Delaware district in congress. She became the first African-American and first woman to represent Delaware in the U.S congress. Lisa was elected as a Democrat, representing the Democratic Party.
Lisa’s Political Summary
Lisa has been actively involved in debates and contribution in the House of Representatives by both proposing and opposing various bills. One of the notable bills that were introduced by Lisa is the H.R 987 that addresses health care issues and prescription drugs. Lisa being elected to the U.S House of Representatives has served the people of Delaware for one term beginning January 3 rd , 2017. Lisa is actively involved in five main committees of the house. They include health, consumer protection and commerce, energy and environment and climate change. Her contribution has been significant in ensuring that important bills proposed are voted yes. This has been through her crucial debates and votes supporting the bills. Her leadership qualities have been evident since her position as an intern to currently representing the Delaware at-large district in the U.S congress.
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Lisa’s Policy Agenda
Lisa Blunt current political agenda revolves around critical issues that affect the country. This is evident in the bills that she proposes and supports. In the recent past, health has emerged as the priority of Lisa in the U.S congress. H.R. 987, strengthening healthcare and lowering prescription drug costs act is a significant bill that aims at improving the status of healthcare around the country. Energy is another important sector that Lisa seeks to have a mark as far as policies are concerned. This is because; much of Lisa’s contributions have been centered on energy and the need to preserve the environment through safe energy. This is an indication that Lisa Blunt is bothered about policies that directly impact the life of an American, in pursuit of positive measures that would improve them.
H.R. 987, Strengthening Healthcare and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act
This act proposed by Lisa blunt aims at improving the healthcare levels and balancing the pricing of drugs. Firstly, this bill directs its address to the pricing of prescription drugs. It targets to create policies that will ensure that lower-priced drugs, especially generics are not sold in the market. This move will ensure that consumers are not sold generics that fail to meet standards due by the use of low-price strategy. Blumberg contends that prescription drug prices have gone up due to collaboration between manufacturers and suppliers (Blumberg, 2019). Consumers are also protected against the pay-for-delay agreements that aim at extorting money from them through delaying tactics. This will ensure that manufactures avail drugs in the market without delaying to influence prices.
Under this act, consumers are poised to benefit because states will be empowered in terms of markets to supply drugs. As opposed to the federal markets, state-based markets will lower markets costs through newly implemented approaches that seek to expand families’ coverage (Hoyer, 2019). The idea of critical funding that will increase enrollment to affordable coverage and Medicaid programs in the next decade is also addressed under this act. It also seeks to rescind the junk plan rule that will see people with pre-existing conditions covered with essential benefits. This is in opposition to the current administration plans that leave out people with pre-existing conditions when it comes to essential benefits.
Interview Questions
Question1 . Why is the Act Important to Americans?
Answer: The act is very important as it aims at improving the healthcare system. Considering that health has shifted its focus to effective and quality healthcare, it is important to remove barriers that may hinder the achievement of quality healthcare. This can, therefore, be achieved by strengthening health care and lowering prescription drug costs.
Question2 . Why Do You Think The Act Is Different From The Existing Acts About Health Care?
Answer: This act is different from existing health acts because of two important reasons. Firstly, the act seeks to protect consumers against inflation of drug prices through specific prescription drug costs avenues. This is different from how the past acts have been addressing the questions of prescription drug costs. Secondly, this act seeks to ensure that state-based markets are expanded to bring services closer to citizens, and in return fill the gaps that have been left by federal-based markets.
Question3. Is there any special group that the act targets?
Answer: There is no special group that this act targets. I have proposed it for the sake of all Americans who need to get quality and affordable healthcare. However, it must be noted that the act has included persons with pre-existing conditions because of the recent policies that seek to lock them out of essential benefits. In summary, the act will act in the interest of all people and not specific groups.
Reflection
The bill is very essential in improving the quality of healthcare. This is because it addresses important issues that have since been missing in the health sector. According to Feldman, the rise in generic drug prices has further increased cries from the public, considering that commonly used medications for diseases such as diabetes and asthma have also increased (Feldman, 2018). This is an indication that the high prices for prescription drugs have hindered their affordability. Therefore, the introduction of this act will positively work for the interest of all Americans.
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References
Blumberg, Y. (2019, Jan. 14). Here’s why many prescription drugs in the US cost so much- and it’s not innovation or improvement. CNBC . Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/10/why-prescription-drugs-in-the-us-cost-so-much.html .
Feldman, R. (2018, Nov. 26). Why prescription drug prices have skyrocketed. The Washington Post . Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/11/26/why-prescription-drug-prices-have-skyrocketed/?noredirect=on .
Hoyer, S. (2019, May 16). H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. Majority Leader . Retrieved from https://www.majorityleader.gov/content/hr-987-strengthening-health-care-and-lowering-prescription-drug-costs-act .
