WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) filed a series of amendments today to the Senate health care bill.  Sen. Kennedy released the following statement along with a brief summary of the amendments.

“The American people need a health care system that looks like someone designed it on purpose,” said Sen. Kennedy.  “The Senate health care bill as it stands today is far from perfect.  However, it is better than the unmitigated disaster that is Obamacare.  I submitted a series of amendments to the health care bill that will help provide better, more affordable and accessible care to all Americans.”

Senator Kennedy filed the following amendments:

• An amendment that reflects the spirit of the Medicaid Reform and Personal Responsibility Act of 2017 by requiring all states to implement a work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents who receive Medicaid funds. Exemptions from the work requirement include:
  
  • pregnant women
  • an individual who is under 19 years of age
  • an individual who is a regular participant in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program
  • an individual who is the sole parent or caretaker for a child under the age of 6 or a disabled child.
  • an individual who is married or a head of household and has not attained 20 years of age and who
    • (i) maintains satisfactory attendance at a secondary school or the equivalent; or
    • (ii) participates in a job training program.
• An amendment to require emergency room doctors to be in the same network as their hospital so that patients do not wind up with unexpected, exorbitant medical bills.
• An amendment to require a better explanation in writing of the medical services that a patient received.  Making the process more transparent will help patients verify the accuracy of their bills.

• An amendment to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national strategy for reducing fraud, waste, abuse, and other improper payments in the Medicaid program.

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