GRAFTON, Wis. – On Wednesday Dan Kohl, the Democratic candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s 6th District, released his proposal to make quality and affordable health care accessible for all Wisconsin families. Kohl has made health care a top issue in his campaign against incumbent Rep. Glenn Grothman.

“Wisconsin families are struggling to keep up with rising health care costs, but Glenn Grothman and Washington politicians voted to remove protections for people with pre-existing conditions and to allow insurance companies to kick 416,000 Wisconsinites off their health care plans,” said Kohl. “Instead of bickering and making it harder to get good health care, Congress needs to come together to pass legislation that will make quality health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.”

“We must take concrete steps to make prescription drugs more affordable, particularly when the consequences are life-and-death or have a serious impact on a patient’s quality of life,” Kohl continued. “Congress must pass legislation that allows Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescription drug prices for the 60 million seniors and people with disabilities it serves. Discounts for bulk purchases are standard practice across every industry, and there is no reason Medicare should be prevented from using the same principles to get lower drug prices for our nation’s seniors and people with disabilities.

Kohl will also fight efforts by Congress to strip away protections for older Americans and people with pre-existing conditions. Current law requires insurance companies to offer coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and limits the cost of insurance premiums for older Americans relative to what younger Americans are charged.

“Virtually every American either has a pre-existing health condition or knows someone with a pre-existing condition. The idea that insurance companies could prevent people with pre-existing conditions from getting coverage is outrageous, but Congress has repeatedly tried to scrap the law that forbids that type of discrimination.”

“Congress has also attempted to gut protections for older Americans by implementing an ‘age tax’ that the AARP says will significantly increase health insurance premiums. Under the proposed rules, older Americans could have to pay up to five times as much for their premiums as younger citizens do. In Congress I will fight to keep these critical protections for older Americans and people with pre-existing conditions.”

Kohl’s opponent, incumbent Rep. Glenn Grothman, voted to eliminate protections for senior citizens and people with pre-existing conditions. He voted for legislation that would have stripped health care coverage away from 44,000 of his constituents. Grothman was also one of only 37 members of Congress to vote against funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Kohl, on the other hand, worked on behalf of the Children’s Hospital Association and has been a tireless advocate for CHIP funding.

“People in Wisconsin have had enough of the political games and finger pointing. We want practical, effective solutions that will fix our health care system so every Wisconsinite has quality, affordable care,” said Kohl.

More on Kohl’s health care positions can be found on his website.

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