Health Care & Seniors

Congressman Hoyer played a key role in the passage and enactment of the Affordable Care Act, which includes critical insurance reforms that put patients – not insurance companies – in control of their health care, while ensuring that the U.S. health care system continues to be the best in the world.

The Affordable Care Act is making a significant difference for Maryland families. Thanks to the law, up to 2.5 million Marylanders with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, cancer, or diabetes – including up to 320,000 children – no longer have to worry about being denied coverage or charged higher prices. Additionally, thousands of young adults in Maryland have gained health insurance because they can now stay on their parents’ health plans until age 26; and over 1.5 million Marylanders on private insurance have gained coverage for at least one free preventive health care service such as a mammogram, birth control, or an immunization. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the uninsured rate in Maryland is currently 6.1 percent, down from 12.9 percent in 2013. Through the Maryland Health Connection and our state’s expansion of Medicaid, over 400,000 Marylanders have enrolled in quality, affordable health care coverage.

Congressman Hoyer believes that Congress must continue to work to improve health care access and affordability and to strengthen the ACA and ensure all Americans can access affordable health coverage.

Congressman Hoyer is also a strong supporter of Social Security and Medicare, and has opposed efforts to privatize them.  He is an advocate for ensuring their strength and long-term solvency and has fought to restore fiscal discipline to the federal government to ensure that these programs will be available for future generations. Congressman Hoyer has worked hard to strengthen the Medicare program and help ensure seniors can see their doctors. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Medicare costs – from premiums and deductibles to overall program spending – have slowed to well below the levels projected before the law passed.

Congressman Hoyer has also worked to improve and modernize the Social Security program by voting for investment in technology to enable the Social Security Administration to more efficiently process the increasing number of retirees and claims.  He supported efforts to increase funding at Social Security to reduce the hearings backlog, prevent a backlog recurrence, and improve the speed and quality of services for retirees.

Hoyer Discusses Prescription Drug Law w/Pharmacists in Waldorf

WALDORF, MD - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today visited NorthGate Pharmacy in Waldorf to hear local community pharmacists concerns about the flawed implementation of Medicare Part D, the Republican prescription drug benefit which took effect this year.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer Hosts Town Hall on Prescription Drugs in Prince George's County

FORT WASHINGTON, MD - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today hosted a town hall meeting to discuss some of the challenges facing seniors as they enroll in Medicare Part D.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer: Seniors Deserve Better than Bush's Drug Plan Bungle

WASHINGTON, DC Following President Bushs remarks on the Medicare prescription drug program in Silver Spring, MD today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) criticized the Republican law as being unnecessarily complicated and failing to adequately take care of seniors biggest problem, the high price of medicines.________________________________________________________________________

Sorting through the Medicare maze

U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer visited the Richard R. Clark Senior Center in La Plata Friday morning to help seniors wade through the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan which he said is more complicated than it needs to be.________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Provides Coverage of Confusing Questions

Carol Rice's reaction to the cost of 50 pills of Lipitor to help lower her cholesterol nearly induced another health problem, she said.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer Hosts Town Hall on Prescription Drugs

LA PLATA, MD - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today hosted a town hall meeting to discuss some of the challenges facing seniors as they enroll in Medicare Part D.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer, Granger Fight to Reduce Childhood Obesity

WASHINGTON, DC Representatives Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) and Kay Granger (R-TX) today re-introduced the Childhood Obesity Reduction Acta bill to encourage schools and school districts to develop and implement local, school-based programs designed to reduce and prevent childhood obesity, promote increased physical activity, and improve nutritional choices in young people.________________________________________________________________________

Capital Area Food Bank to Receive Federal Funds

WASHINGTON, DC Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Tom Davis (R-VA), Jim Moran (D-VA), Albert Wynn (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following joint statement today announcing that at their request, the FY 2006 Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, District of Columbia Appropriations Conference Report, approved by the House of Representatives today, included $1,300,000 in federal funds for the Capital Area Food Bank.________________________________________________________________________