Washington DC — Today, Georgia voters elected Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), supporting a true health care champion and expanding the Democratic majority in the Senate. Warnock campaigned on his health care record in the Senate and his continued advocacy for making health care a right for every American. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“Senator Reverend Warnock has already made his mark as a health care champion in the U.S. Senate. Warnock helped deliver lower prescription drug and insulin costs for seniors, extended premium savings for hardworking families, and ensured better care for millions in the future. He will continue to advocate for expanding Medicaid and protecting abortion access in Georgia and across the nation. Once again, Georgia voters rejected the Republican agenda of raising health care costs and ripping away critical protections. Mirroring other tough races across the country, this runoff sent a clear message: protecting and expanding access to affordable health care is a top priority for the American people.”
Senator Reverend Warnock Ran and Won on Health Care.
- Warnock Travels Throughout Georgia Touting Health Care Record. “His pitch to voters was heavy on accomplishments during his brief time in office, touting legislation that lowered health care costs for senior citizens and painting himself as a champion of bipartisan problem solving in a gridlocked Congress.” [NPR, 11/9/22]
- Warnock Touts Lower Insulin Costs As He Makes Final Pitch to Georgia Voters. “The pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta has pitched himself as willing to work across the aisle on policy that benefits Georgians, touting lowered health care costs for insulin and other legislative victories since winning in a Jan. 2021 special election runoff.” [GPB, 12/2/22]
- Warnock Holds Rally for Supporters of His Health Care Policies. “Sen. Raphael Warnock gathered a crowd of about 100 people to one of his final campaign stops in Talbotton before Election Day. Melinda Milner was an attendee at the rally and she told WRBL she supports Sen. Warnock strongly for his healthcare bill that would affect diabetics across the Peach State. ‘We do need healthcare here. I am a diabetic and I’ve been one for four years and it’s hard to get service from anyone,’ said Milner.” [WRBL, 11/7/22]
Senator Raphael Warnock is a Health Care Champion. Some of Senator Reverend Warnock’s most influential policies passed while in Congress have been to lower costs and to expand health care access to more Americans than ever before.
- Sen. Warnock voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower health care costs for millions of Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act is the most historic piece of health care legislation since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has allowed over 700,000 Georgians to access quality and affordable health care. Due to its passage the HHS estimates that 2,954,000 more Americans including nearly half a million Black Americans, will have access to health insurance next year compared to without the Inflation Reduction Act. With Georgian Medicare beneficiaries spending, on average, $591 annually, the $35 a month insulin cap introduced by Senator Warnock will save Georgian seniors hundreds every year. Additionally, a projected one in three of uninsured Black adults will gain coverage over the lifetime of this legislation, making it one of the largest balancers of racial health equity in history. This legislation works to reduce the urban-rural health divide by providing over three-quarters of rural Americans with access to health care plans for less than $50 a month. In all, around 46.6 million Americans will see their health care costs fall directly due to the Inflation Reduction Act, with millions more likely seeing their costs fall as this reverberates through health care markets.
- Sen. Warnock introduced legislation with Sen. Booker aimed at advancing health equity. The Health Equity and Accountability Act works to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities throughout the U.S. health care system through the strengthening of data collection for health outcomes among marginalized groups, improving the diversity of the workforce within the health care system, and improving health care access to historically marginalized groups. Senator Warnock has reached across the aisle and through chambers of Congress to help improve racial health equity for Georgians and all Americans.
- Sen. Warnock voted for an amendment expanding Medicare coverage for dental, hearing, and vision. Although amendment S.Amdt. 5211 was rejected, Senator Warnock took a stand with fellow Senators Ossoff and Sanders to continue the fight to expand all types of health care coverage for all Americans.
- Sen. Warnock reached across the aisle to pass legislation increasing mental health funding for children and families. Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Senator Warnock was able to work with multiple Republican Senators to increase federal investment for child and family mental health. It appropriates $250 million to states to expand mental health services, $120 million for community member and first responder training for mental illness, $80 million in grants for pediatric primary care providers, $60 million for mental health training for clinicians, and more all aimed at increasing mental health awareness and treatment.
Sen. Warnock voted for the American Rescue Plan which helped significantly lower health costs for Georgians. Thanks to the passage of the American Rescue Plan, uninsured rates have fallen to some of the lowest levels in history. This is due in part to the premium tax credits which allowed for millions of more Americans to access quality and affordable health care for the first time, as well as other systemic factors such as the child tax credits which helped ease the cost-burden of childcare on families and raised millions out of poverty. Senator Warnock was a critical vote for the American Rescue Plan and it would not have passed without his support.