Like the Silicon Valley region she represents, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo exemplifies innovation. She’s creative, boundary breaking and productive. She is a problem solver and a consensus builder. In Rep. Eshoo’s two decades in Congress, she has defended consumers, promoted American competitiveness and innovation, fought for access to health care for families and children, protected the environment, and encouraged development of clean energy technology.
Rep. Eshoo’s work consistently earns the highest approval from a wide range of organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters, the Humane Society, the American Association of University Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Science Coalition. The San Jose Mercury News named her one of the ten most powerful women in Silicon Valley “because she sits on committees that oversee the Internet and biotech—areas vital to the valley’s interests.”
Since her service on the Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County to her current position as Chairwoman of the powerful House Health Subcommittee, Rep. Eshoo has been a leader on a broad range of health care issues, from shaping the Affordable Care Act to supporting biomedical research for new treatments and cures.
Strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act
Rep. Eshoo has fought hard to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. She was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act, the landmark law that has helped millions of Americans thanks to its life-saving protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and tax credits to help Americans afford health coverage. Under her leadership, her Health Subcommittee also passed the No Surprises Act into law, ending surprise medical bills due to disputes between health care providers and health insurers.
Medicare and Medicaid pay for the health care of more than 1 out every 3 Americans. Rep. Eshoo has seen first-hand the peace of mind Medicare provided for her mother and father when they had that card in their wallet. As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, she’s held hearings on and passed legislation through the House of Representatives that adds vision, hearing, and dental coverage to the Medicare program. Rep. Eshoo has also been a leader in ensuring that Medicare continues to cover telehealth. Through the Affordable Care Act, Rep. Eshoo helped to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of low-income families.
If you are uninsured or need help with your health insurance coverage, you can visit the following resources to learn more.
Lowering Drug Prices
As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, Rep. Eshoo led the drafting of the policies to lower prescription drug prices that became law as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. President Biden signed the legislation into law on August 16, 2022. It will help millions of American seniors afford prescription drugs, saving lives and preventing bankruptcies.
Here is a list of new benefits for Medicare enrollees:
Biomedical Research
The 18th Congressional District includes Stanford University and Silicon Valley and is a world leader for biomedical research. In Congress, Rep. Eshoo is a leading advocate for funding research at the National Institutes of Health for new treatments and cures for deadly diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and pancreatic and pediatric cancers. She’s also led legislation to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration so that it can move at the speed of science to bring safe and effective drug and medical devices to more patients.
Rep. Eshoo has sponsored legislation to create the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This new agency would embody the nimble spirit of the highly regarded and successful Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to pursue large-scale, high-risk projects. It will break the mold for federal research agencies by being uniquely focused on solving the “valley of death” to deliver transformational cures for deadly diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, ALS, and diabetes.
Women’s Health
As the first woman in the history of Congress to chair the House Health Subcommittee, Rep. Eshoo is dedicated to ensuring that women can receive the health care they choose and deserve. She held the first hearing on protecting access to abortion in over 20 years when her Health Subcommittee considered the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation that codifies the Roe v. Wade decision, and supported the repeal of the domestic and global gag rule.
Rep. Eshoo’s Health Subcommittee has also been responsible for landmark legislation to address the nation’s shameful maternal mortality rate. The U.S. is the most dangerous place in the developed world to deliver a baby, and it’s even more dangerous if you’re a woman of color. This is unacceptable, and what’s more, it’s preventable.
Under Rep. Eshoo’s leadership, two significant pieces of legislation to address the maternal health crisis have become law. First, the American Rescue Plan provides a new state option to extend Medicaid coverage for pregnant women from 60 days postpartum to one full year following the baby’s birth. California has already taken advantage of the new authority and today, many California mothers are eligible for free Medi-Cal coverage for one year postpartum. Second, the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act provides grants for perinatal quality collaboratives, including Stanford’s California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, which has reduced severe health problems from pregnancy-related hemorrhages by 21% and has contributed to reducing the maternal mortality rate in California by 55%.