Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Wyden Introduces Bill to Protect Voters and Elections Against COVID-19 Risks by Mandating Emergency Vote-By-Mail
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a bill to address the risks to American voters and elections posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and other outbreaks of infectious diseases or natural disasters. If 25 percent of states declare a state of emergency related to COVID-19, another infectious disease or natural disaster, the Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020 would require all states to offer an option for voters to mail in … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Join Bipartisan Group of Senators in Urging Vice President Pence to Ensure Coronavirus Resources for Tribes and Urban Native Communities
WASHINGTON, DC - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a bipartisan group of 25 senators in writing to Vice President Mike Pence requesting the administration meaningfully engage with Native communities and Tribal leaders on their response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The senators sent the letter following congressional passage of a coronavirus emergency supplemental appropriations bill that includes $40 million for Tribes, Tribal organizations and Urban Indian … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Senate Passage of Emergency Coronavirus Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the Senate passage of a bipartisan, bicameral coronavirus emergency funding bill, which will provide $8.3 billion in new funding to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. "In the face of this public health crisis, we need good information, good science, and the right tools in the right hands to limit the virus's spread and keep people safe," said Merkley. "It's important that members of Congress of both parties … Continue Reading
January 29, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Publicly Commit To Protecting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined their Democratic colleagues in demanding Donald Trump retract the alarming threats he made last week concerning cutting earned benefits like Medicare or Social Security to pay for his tax scam, which has been a handout to corporations at the expense of workers. "As a presidential candidate, you promised the American people that you would not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. In fact, you criticized … Continue Reading
October 23, 2019
Senators Wyden, Murray Denounce President Trump’s Cruel Policy Denying Visas Based on Health Care Coverage
Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar denouncing the cruel and politically motivated Trump proclamation barring immigrants based on whether they can afford health care coverage. The Senators urged HHS to reverse the proclamation … Continue Reading
October 09, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Urge Administration to Put the Interests of Seniors Above Insurance Companies
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that they are urging the Trump administration to delay implementation of a Medicare enrollment website overhaul to address key problems with the new Medicare Plan Finder tool that would make it harder for seniors to compare insurance and prescription drug plans. The letter was sent in anticipation of a high volume of inquiries from beneficiaries during an already chaotic time. Medicare Open Enrollment begins on … Continue Reading
May 21, 2019
Wyden Says No to Republican Control of Women’s Bodies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor against the recent passage of some of the nation's strictest abortion bans in U.S. history: Mr. President, right now in state capitals across the country, Republican lawmakers are passing extreme bills that throw 45 years of settled law on reproductive rights out the window. This is an open, coordinated attack on Roe and a woman's right to choose the healthcare she needs. These … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
Wyden Cheers Congressional Passage of Bill to Improve Oregonians’ Health Care
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today welcomed the passage of bipartisan legislation to improve the Medicaid program, including Wyden-backed provisions that fund community-based behavioral health programs and restrict the pharmaceutical industry's exploitive tactics of taxpayer dollars. The Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019, which passed the Senate today after passing through the House earlier this year, includes a number of key provisions that … Continue Reading
March 12, 2019
Wyden Joins Colleagues to Introduce Legislation Ensuring Equal Access to Reproductive Health Care
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. today joined colleagues to introduce legislation protecting every woman's constitutionally-guaranteed right to reproductive health care and helping ensure access to care for each woman, regardless of income, race or where in the country they may live. The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Woman Act would lift the federal prohibition in current law preventing women who receive their health coverage through … Continue Reading
March 11, 2019
Wyden: Trump’s ‘MAGAnomics’ Budget Promises to Leave Seniors and American Families Behind
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the Trump administration's budget proposal to Congress: "Trump's 'MAGAnomics' budget means deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other essential resources for seniors and American families-all to free up money for his wall, windfalls for defense contractors, and tax cuts for huge corporations and billionaires. "Not only that, the Trump administration is again pushing its misguided scheme to drive up the … Continue Reading
February 15, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Urge Trump Administration to End Unlawful Attacks on Women’s Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with 37 Senate Democrats urged the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to roll back protections that prevent states from excluding qualified women's health care providers from the Medicaid program. The letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, comes after recent reports that in rescinding the guidance, the Administration worked with conservative outside groups to make it easier for states to defund … Continue Reading
December 08, 2016
Senators Urge President-Elect Trump to Live Up to Campaign Promises and Clarify Whether He Opposes Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) andalong with 19 fellow senators, today sent a letter calling on President-Elect Donald Trump to remind him of his campaign promises to reject cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and to ask that he clarify whether he still intends to do so. The letter was signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), … Continue Reading
December 12, 2013
Grassley, Wyden Applaud SGR’s Medicare Payment Transparency Provisions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded inclusion of language that would make Medicare claims data available to the public as part of legislation aimed addressing the Medicare's physician payment formula. Both the House and Senate versions of legislation addressing the Medicare physician payment formula include the key provisions from Grassley and Wyden's Medicare Data Access for Transparency and Accountability Act (Medicare DATA Act). This … Continue Reading
June 26, 2013
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Strengthen Medicare by Keeping Seniors Healthy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and U.S. Representatives Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., Ron Kind, D-Wisc., Tim Griffin, R-Ark., and Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, today introduced legislation aimed at saving Medicare billions by encouraging seniors to get and stay healthy. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would create the Medicare Better Health Rewards program. This entirely voluntary program is designed to help motivate Medicare beneficiaries to get and stay … Continue Reading
June 13, 2013
Wyden Outlines New Medicare Reforms
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today outlined new Medicare reforms aimed at reducing costs by focusing on the needs of the millions of seniors suffering from chronic conditions. "Chronic disease needs to be Medicare's primary focus," Wyden said during a keynote speech at the National Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) Summit. "Providers should be encouraged to seek out beneficiaries who are in need of chronic disease prevention, management and treatment and work to manage patients' … Continue Reading
June 03, 2013
Grassley, Wyden Say Medicare Claims Data Still Falls Short of Transparency
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., say that despite a recent federal ruling affirming that Medicare data should be available to the public and federal efforts to make some data publicly available, much more still needs to be done to make Medicare claims data fully transparent. "Medicare is a $500 billion program with billions of dollars going out in error each year," Grassley said. "The bad actors get bigger and bolder all the time. They stay out of law … Continue Reading
March 26, 2013
CMS Responds to Wyden on Resolving the Family Glitch
WASHINGTON - Despite the Administration's effort to provide states with greater flexibility to allow employees to shop for health insurance using employer contributions, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden says millions of workers' dependents will still be left without options for affordable family health coverage. "Without action, millions of hard working Americans are going to be squeezed by the family glitch," Wyden said. "Many people will be left with a false choice of taking family coverage through … Continue Reading
March 19, 2013
Wyden Urges NIH to Reexamine Policies
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today released a letter to National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis S. Collins regarding concerns about achieving a reasonable balance between getting breakthrough pharmaceuticals to market quickly, making sure patients can afford these medicines and protecting the interests of taxpayers. The text of the letter is here: Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., Director National Institutes of Health 9000 Rockville PikeBethesda, Maryland 20892 Dear … Continue Reading
February 14, 2013
Wyden Presses Administration on Family Health Coverage Gap
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed an Obama administration official to help find ways to resolve a glitch in the law that would deny federal assistance to the millions of Americans of modest means who could be priced out of family health coverage at work. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing Wyden asked Gary Cohen, Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid … Continue Reading
November 01, 2012
Wyden, Roe Seek Justice Department Investigation into Pseudoephedrine Tracking Program
Washington, D.C. - In a letter to the U.S. Justice Department today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) raised concerns that the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), a nation-wide program tracking sales of pseudoephedrine, may violate the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA). NPLEx was created as a tool for pharmacies and law enforcement to investigate and crack down on the illegal production of methamphetamine. The lawmakers are seeking an … Continue Reading
