Mike Thompson represents California's 5th Congressional District. The district includes all of Napa and parts of Contra Costa, Lake, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He was first elected in 1998. Prior to serving in Congress, Thompson represented California's 2nd District in the California State Senate, where he chaired the powerful Budget Committee.
Thompson is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and serves as Chairman of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee and as a senior member of the Health Subcommittee.
While we’ve made great strides in recent years, too many people in our country still can’t get the health care they need. Health care is a right. Congress must ensure everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care.
Affordable Care Act
Our health care system has undergone a dramatic transformation since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law in 2010. Both state-based Health Insurance Marketplaces—like Covered California—and the Federal Marketplace under healthcare.gov have brought much-needed price transparency and competition to private insurance. The Medicaid expansion and premium tax credit have helped millions of low-income Americans and middle-class families obtain quality, affordable coverage. And most important, insurance companies can no longer refuse coverage to or discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.
I was proud to vote for the ACA and I’m working hard to improve and extend it.
Reducing Out-of-Pocket Costs
As health costs continue rising, more Americans are being forced to pay for necessary medical care out-of-pocket. The high price of prescription drugs is especially hard on patients, forcing many to ration their medication or forego care altogether. This is unacceptable. Please know I support legislation to end predatory practices that artificially inflate prescription drug costs.
In addition, the complicated, opaque nature of medical billing means families are too often hit with unexpected health care bills. That’s why I’m working to bring more transparency to billing practices and end surprise medical bills for good.
Telehealth
New health care technologies promise to lower costs and improve health outcomes, especially for people in underserved or rural areas. I’m a strong supporter of expanding access to telehealth and I’m doing everything I can to ensure this technology is rolled out quickly and efficiently.
I’m fully committed to expanding access and lowering costs for everyone in America and I won’t rest until universal health coverage is a reality.