For up-to-date information on the Health Insurance Reform being debated in Congress, including links to the text of the various bills, Frequently Asked Questions and Fact Checks, please view this Health Insurance Reform resource page.

The American health care system provides excellent health care, but costs are skyrocketing.  Insurance premiums have doubled since 2000, squeezing the budgets of many of Arizona's families and employers, including small businesses.

Congressman Mitchell believes that comprehensive reform is needed to ensure that all Americans have access to quality and affordable health care.  Congressman Mitchell supports a health care system that is affordable and slows the growth of insurance premiums.  Additionally, it is important to guarantee choice - Americans should be able to pick their own doctors, keep insurance coverage if they leave or lose their jobs, and receive coverage regardless of preexisting conditions.  Congressman Mitchell also supports investing in prevention and wellness.

In addition to supporting reform for quality and affordable heath care that gives consumers choices, Representative Mitchell has worked to ensure that we are strengthening Medicare for our seniors, ensuring health care for our children and investing in research for serious chronic or terminal diseases.

As a father, grandfather, and former teacher, Congressman Mitchell believes that it is critical to ensure that all children have access to high-quality and affordable health care.  He helped pass a bill to expand health insurance coverage for low-income children provided by the State Children's Health Care Program (SCHIP).  This bill expanded coverage to 82,600 children in our state through KidsCare, Arizona's SCHIP program.

Congressman Mitchell believes it is crucial to strengthen Medicare for the 800,000 seniors it serves in Arizona.  In 2008, he voted for a bill to prevent physicians who treat Medicare patients from receiving a10.6 percent cut in reimbursements which would have caused many doctors to limit or stop seeing new Medicare patients.  He also supports efforts to reduce prescription drug costs for seniors by permitting Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers in order to lower prescription drug prices.

Congressman Mitchell also supports invesments in scientific research.  New cures and treatments will save lives, be more effective and be more affordable for Arizonans who are fighting chronic illnesses.  In his first term, Congressman Mitchell voted to significantly increase the resources available for vital research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and voted to authorize the use of stem cells, which would otherwise be discarded, for the purpose of scientific research.