Following the State of the Union, the White House and Congress Must Deliver on People-Centered Health Care Policy

WASHINGTON — Today, United States of Care released a statement from CEO and co-founder Natalie Davis on President Joseph R. Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address: 

“If there is one thing we can be sure of it’s that the year ahead of us is uncertain. The past few years have exposed widening health care disparities across the country that can only be addressed by centering people over profits in health care and fostering an era of bipartisan collaboration to reform our health care system. 

While this year’s political elections will surely mark one of the most divisive in our history, we’ve learned from conversations with people across the country that ultimately there is much more that unites us than divides us.

Tonight, we were pleased to hear President Biden commit to protecting the health care coverage gains we have made over the last ten years through the Affordable Care Act, and making permanent the enhanced advance premium tax credits that are making this coverage more affordable for millions of Americans. President Biden also elevated the need to continue to address high health care costs by lowering the prices of prescription drugs and advancing policies that will deliver a better health care future for people.

Still we know there is much work to be done in order to inspire lasting progress. In 2024 and beyond, we would like to see the White House and Congress prioritize:

• Lowering the high cost of health care by addressing skyrocketing hospital bills and continuing to bring down prescription drug prices, 
• Advancing affordable and accessible coverage options for everyone,
• Transitioning from a fee-for-service to patient-first care system that prioritizes quality over quantity, and
• Reducing health inequities by removing barriers people face in accessing high quality, affordable health care. 

In the past year we have witnessed significant accomplishments by the Biden Administration as our system continued to regain its footing in the aftermath of the devastating global pandemic—but more can and must be done to build a better health care system. 

United States of Care understands that there is so much to look forward to as we work together to invest in a future in which every person has equal access to personalized people-first care. A health care system where patients know the cost of their care before they receive a confusing and unfair bill, where Black women do not face devastating pregnancy experiences, and a system in which people can count on their health coverage being there for them when they need it without driving them into medical debt. We are grateful for our ongoing collaboration with the White House and Congress and remain optimistic for all we will accomplish as we forge on in this movement for affordable and accessible health care for all people.”

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United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.

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