Johnson entered the U.S. Air Force in 1973, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after a distinguished military career of more than 26 years. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Troy University in Troy, Alabama in 1979, and he earned his Master’s Degree from Georgia Tech in 1984. During his tenure in the U.S. Air Force, Johnson was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Squadron Officers School, and Air Command & Staff College. Bill is also a proud recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. As Director of the Air Force’s Chief Information Officer Staff at U.S. Special Operations Command, Johnson worked directly with senior congressional and Secretary of Defense representatives, as well as top leaders within the various U.S. intelligence communities, to ensure America’s Special Operations forces were adequately equipped to carry out critical national security missions.
Since I was first elected in 2010, I’ve opposed President Obama’s federal takeover of America’s healthcare system (Obamacare), and fought for its repeal and replacement. And while significant progress has been made in repealing parts of this disastrous law, some of the most damaging parts of the law still stands.
Obamacare should be completely replaced with common sense, patient-centered solutions like: insurance companies having to compete for your business by making health insurance portable from state to state and job to job; increasing incentives for Americans to contribute pre-tax dollars to health savings accounts that can be used to pay for routine healthcare at a much lower cost than purchasing a massive healthcare policy; and, enacting tort reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits and keep doctors in treatment rooms rather than in court rooms.
I believe that parents should have the option of keeping children on their insurance until the age of 26, and that insurance companies should not be able to deny coverage for anyone based on pre-existing conditions. Furthermore, we must guarantee the promise of Medicare so America’s seniors and those already in the retirement window (those 55 years of age and older) continue to receive their fully funded Medicare benefits; and, we must strengthen and preserve Medicare so that future generations have access to this vital safety-net program.
On the issue of surprise billing, I am proud to have recently supported legislation that would help protect Americans who, through no fault of their own, have received unaffordable surprise medical bills. Patients should be held harmless when they experience a medical emergency or simply have no ability to determine if they are receiving care from an in-network or out-of-network provider. We must ensure a fair and transparent process when there is a payment dispute between a patient’s insurer and healthcare provider. It’s not fair for Americans to be caught in the middle.
Additionally, for many Americans, the cost of prescription drugs at the pharmacy counter keeps going up and up. I’m fighting hard to lower drug prices for Americans, especially for our seniors. I’ve worked with my colleagues in Congress and the Trump administration to implement policies that foster innovation and quality in programs like Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage, that will generate real savings without the federal government fixing prices on treatments that would compromise the market-based structure that ignites innovations that lead to new and better cures.