How 7 healthcare workers elected to Congress plan to confront a broken system
Medical professionals enter Congress
The incoming House members include pediatrician Richard Pan of California, emergency room physician Amish Shah of Arizona, surgeon Adam Hamawy of New Jersey, emergency nurse Mitchell Berman of Wisconsin, and oncology nurse practitioner Kristina Knickerbocker of Ohio. Their victories add to a small group of health care providers in Congress.
A range of health care proposals
The candidates campaigned on lowering costs, widening health coverage and confronting drugmakers and health care corporations they say prioritize profits over patients. Their proposals include a public insurance option and Medicare-for-all.
They have also backed more targeted changes involving drug prices and health insurance denials. But Democrats’ plans face near-term obstacles while President Donald Trump remains in the White House.
Bringing patient experiences to policy
Pan and Shah said their work in medicine could help colleagues see the practical consequences of policy decisions. Pan said the issues are not abstract for physicians who must tell patients whether help is available.
“As a practicing physician, I know what it’s like to be on the front lines,” Pan said. He described having to look patients in the eye when programs cannot provide the help they need.
Examples from emergency and primary care
Shah recalled treating an uninsured woman for an allergic reaction in an emergency department. She worried she could face a $10,000 bill after discharge; Shah said she might. He later learned she was her family’s breadwinner and worked at a nearby emergency department.
Key points
- Their proposals include a public insurance option, Medicare-for-all and changes to drug prices and insurance denials.
- Pan and Shah want colleagues to consider how policy affects patients in practice.
- Shah described an uninsured emergency department worker who feared a $10,000 medical bill.