Health Care
As an Emergency Room doctor, I know how important it is for people in the 36th district to have access to quality, affordable health care. Some improvements have been made to our healthcare system, such as allowing parents to insure their children until the age of 26, making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors, and ensuring that people with preexisting conditions cannot be denied insurance coverage. However, our system remains imperfect and expensive, wasting billions every year and we must continue working to improve it.
We must address the waste, fraud and abuse in our health care system. In my position on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I have focused on improving the health care system for our nation’s veterans and developing bipartisan solutions to end the Veterans Affairs backlog of disability claims. There are real opportunities to save the American public billions of dollars, like using electronic medical records to coordinate care and make our healthcare system more efficient. Also, allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices on behalf of beneficiaries would save over a billion dollars and make prescriptions more affordable for our seniors.
I am first and foremost a physician, and the health of our community is my chief concern. I will continue to fight to protect the Medicare and Social Security benefits that seniors have worked hard to earn and find bipartisan solutions that will improve our nation’s healthcare system. Good ideas don’t belong to a single party, and I will continue to reach across the aisle to improve healthcare for the residents of California’s 36th Congressional district.
More on Health Care
Washington, DC – Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. questioned former Indian Health Service (IHS) Director Dr. Charles Grim D.D.S., M.H.S.A., of the Chickasaw Nation about how to address the severe shortage of health care providers at IHS facilities across the nation. The exchange came during an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing this week titled, “Addressing the Urgent Needs of Our Tribal Communities.”
Washington, DC – Congressmen Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) introduced legislation to help disabled veterans access the needed benefits they deserve. H.R. 5995, the Major Richard Star Act, would allow veterans to receive their full disability pay and full retirement compensation that they have rightfully earned regardless of how long they served.
Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., has one message for President Donald Trump — wear a mask.
Ruiz, who is a physician, told Trump to “man up” and put on a mask during a Thursday appearance on CNN’s “New Day.”
“Man up, Mr. President. Wear your mask,” Ruiz said. “That’s the best thing you can do. You can save millions and millions of lives if you simply wear a mask.”
Ruiz was reacting to comments the president made during a Wednesday interview with Fox Business.
Washington, DC – Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) took bold action to build on the Affordable Care Act to lower health costs and prescription drug prices by voting to pass H.R. 1425, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. His vote comes days after the Trump Administration filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down the entirety of the ACA.
Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz joined us from Washington D.C. tonight to discuss a variety of topics related to the coronavirus pandemic, including a recent rise in cases and hospitalizations in Riverside County.
As of this weekend, 99% of ICU beds in Riverside County are being used. Only 40% of ventilators are being used, however.
On Monday, Riverside County issued an order once again closing bars without a food license. Congressman Ruiz told News Channel 3's Karen Devine that this could be a precursor of things to come if things remain the way they are heading.
Washington, DC – Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) is calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide updates on the status of Economic Impact Payments (EIP) and urging the IRS to take immediate action to speed up the delivery of the remaining payments. In a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig sent Monday, Dr.
Washington, DC – Congressmen Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) are calling on House and Senate Leadership to protect and expand funding for Community Health Centers (CHCs), which play a vital role in treating patients, working with local health departments, and fighting the spread of the coronavirus.
Nearly half of the states across the U.S. are reporting an increase in coronavirus cases, potentially due to the phased-in re-openings and the ongoing protests. California is seeing a spike as well, as cases hit the highest one-day increase last Friday.
Today, Congressmen Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) called on House and Senate Leadership to protect and expand funding for Community Health Centers (CHCs), which play a vital role in treating patients, working with local health departments, and fighting the spread of the coronavirus.
Palm Desert, CA – Today Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), Dr. Maguire of the University of California Riverside School of Medicine, and panelists from medical organizations throughout the Coachella Valley made a special announcement regarding expanded psychiatric residency programs and community partnerships in the East Valley. Following the announcement, Congressman Ruiz and panelists from each organization answered commonly asked questions related to mental health wellness in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.