[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 197 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Healthcare

  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I rise to join my Democratic colleagues 
who have come to the floor in recent weeks to share stories from our 
constituents about the need to protect and improve healthcare.
  Throughout the last 3 years, the Trump administration and Republicans 
in Congress have been relentless in their attempts to undermine our 
healthcare system, and their efforts have increased costs and made it 
harder for patients to access the care they and their families need.
  Instead of working to improve our healthcare system and ensure that 
it is actually working for patients, this administration and some of my 
Republican colleagues have actively sought to do the opposite, and that 
has very real implications for the people we serve.
  Take, for example, Cassandra Van Kuren of Manchester, NH. Cassandra 
is a 26-year-old who is passionate about fitness and staying healthy. 
That is why it was so devastating that a week before she turned 25, she 
got the news that she had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
  Cassandra's life had been turned upside down, and after her 
diagnosis, she was immediately hit with another shocking blow: the 
costs associated with her condition.
  Within the first week of her diagnosis, she was forced to max out her 
credit card, and to this day she is still paying back all of the bills 
she accumulated within her first month of being diagnosed.
  Soon after, she lost her job because she missed so much work. She 
then went to work with her husband at the gym they own in Manchester 
and was able to get health insurance through the business.
  Still, the costs remain enormous. On average, Cassandra has to spend 
$150 a month on insulin costs alone after insurance. Her premium is 
over $400 per month, and every 3 months she accumulates bills of over 
$500 due to the cost of appointments and equipment. And, sadly, 
Cassandra and her husband are nervous about starting a family because 
their costs for care would grow even higher. The amount of insulin a 
woman with type 1 diabetes needs increases three times when she is 
pregnant.

  Cassandra's story is an example of why we need to improve our 
healthcare system and also why we can't afford to allow Washington 
Republicans to pull us backward.
  The administration is backing a partisan lawsuit--the result of which 
we will know soon--which would take healthcare away from millions of 
Americans, gut protections for preexisting conditions, end Medicaid 
expansion, and eliminate the requirement that insurers must cover 
prescription drugs, maternity care, mental healthcare, substance abuse 
treatment, and so much more.
  With the support of Senate Republicans, the administration has 
promoted what are appropriately referred to as junk health insurance 
plans. These junk plans allow insurance companies to discriminate 
against Americans who experience preexisting conditions, and they also 
leave patients with higher healthcare costs and worse insurance 
coverage.
  The administration has opposed certain efforts to lower the costs of 
prescription drugs, in particular, allowing Medicare to negotiate 
prices on lifesaving drugs, including insulin. These actions are 
unacceptable.
  Families in New Hampshire and all across the country cannot afford 
these reckless attacks on their healthcare, and they want us to work 
together on constructive bipartisan solutions that improve their lives 
and lower their costs, not this constant uncertainty and sabotage.
  The efforts of people like Cassandra, who have shared their stories 
in an attempt to shine a light on the challenges that patients are 
experiencing, are incredibly important. No one should have to share 
their most deeply personal healthcare stories and plead for lawmakers 
not to undermine their health coverage, but that is where we are. I am 
incredibly grateful for those who have had the courage to speak out. I 
will continue to share their stories, and I will continue working with 
anyone who is serious about actually improving our healthcare system, 
not undermining them.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.