Ten Ways Max's America’s Healthy Future Act Makes Health Care Work for You

1.    Ends Insurance Company Discrimination – The America’s Healthy Future Act will stop insurance companies from denying coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes and from hiking up rates or dropping coverage for those who get sick.

2.    Lowers Costs – The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the America’s Healthy Future Act will lower premium costs for Americans purchasing coverage in the individual and small group market. And CBO says the bill effectively slows the growth of federal health care spending over the long term. 

3.    Reduces the Federal Deficit – According to CBO, the America’s Healthy Future Act reduces the federal deficit by $49 billion over the next 10 years and, in the following decade, would continue to reduce the deficit by half a percent of the GDP -- roughly $800 to $900 billion.

4.    Improves Our Focus on Wellness and Prevention - The America’s Healthy Future Act will work to change the focus of our health care system from treating sickness to promoting wellness with several provisions such as providing an annual “wellness visit,” eliminating out‐of‐pocket costs for recommended preventive services for Medicare beneficiaries, and rewarding primary care.

5.    Ensures Quality Health Care Coverage for Millions Americans – The America’s Healthy Future Act will provide access to quality health care coverage for 36 million Americans – significantly reducing the cost of uncompensated care and resulting in lower costs for everyone and savings to the economy.

6.    Improves Quality - The America’s Healthy Future Act includes numerous provisions to improve the way we deliver care. The bill creates quality and efficiency incentives that will improve care and cut down on waste such as unnecessary hospital readmissions.   

7.    Strengthens and Improves Medicare – The America’s Healthy Future Act will not cut benefits in the Medicare program. In fact, the bill will increase benefits, with key provisions that provide seniors with free preventive care and wellness check-ups with their doctor.  The bill will improve care for seniors with chronic conditions and, it will provide a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs for seniors in the “doughnut hole,” a gap in coverage in the Medicare prescription drug program.  The bill strengthens Medicare to ensure the program’s sustainability.

8.    Cuts Down on Fraud, Waste and Abuse - The America’s Healthy Future Act will strengthen oversight and enforcement measures to cut down on fraud, waste and abuse in the health care system, which is estimated to cost more than $60 billion every year.

9.    Improves Choice and Competition - In most states today, one insurance company controls nearly half the market, putting insurance companies in control and leaving Americans with little choice and few consumer protections. The America’s Healthy Future Act will create a competitive and transparent market with meaningful benefit packages for consumers to choose from. 

10.    Modernizes the Health Care System - The America’s Healthy Future Act increases efficiency in the health system by standardizing electronic transactions among insurers and health care providers, lowering premiums and allowing doctors to spend less time filling out paperwork and more time treating patients. 

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