Tracked Votes

Our scorecards track the pro-healthcare access votes from every serving legislator in Congress. The below list of major healthcare bills and nominations that impact the healthcare of people with diabetes are used to determine their total voting record, which is updated when there are new votes.

While legislators’ opinions on healthcare access can be varied, we only score them based on their actual votes for bills and nominations, represented as a percentage of all the tracked votes. For legislators who have not voted on any of the tracked votes, their score will say “No Votes.”

The list of all the tracked votes are below, with details on how it affects healthcare access for people with diabetes in the U.S.

If your Senators and Representatives are not voting to increase healthcare access, we encourage you to contact them and demand that they prioritize the well-being of their constituents over the profits of the healthcare industry.

Tracked Votes

Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-173)

  • Pro-Healthcare Vote: Nay

  • House: 220–215 (November 22, 2003)

  • Senate: 54–44 (November 25, 2003)

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 established Medicare Part D, introducing a voluntary prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. While this expansion aimed to improve drug access, the Act included a provision that prohibited Medicare from negotiating drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies. This restriction limited the government's ability to leverage its purchasing power to lower drug costs. For individuals with diabetes, this meant continued high prices for essential medications like insulin. Over time, the inability to negotiate prices contributed to significant increases in insulin costs, with Medicare Part D spending on insulin rising substantially between 2007 and 2017.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148)

  • Pro-Healthcare Vote: Yea

  • House: 219–212 (March 21, 2010)

  • Senate: 60–39 (December 24, 2009)

The ACA expanded health insurance coverage, prohibited denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions (including diabetes), and mandated coverage for preventive services without cost-sharing. This significantly improved access to healthcare for individuals with diabetes by ensuring coverage and reducing out-of-pocket costs for essential services.

American Health Care Act (H.R.1628)

  • Pro-Healthcare Vote: Nay

  • House: 217–213 (May 4, 2017)

This bill attempted to repeal and replace the ACA, including provisions that could have allowed insurers to charge more or deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. If enacted, it could have negatively affected individuals with diabetes by increasing insurance costs or reducing coverage options.

Affordable Insulin Now Act (H.R. 6833)

  • Pro-Healthcare Vote: Yea

  • House: 232–193 (March 31, 2022)

This bill proposed to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month for individuals with private insurance and Medicare, aiming to alleviate the financial burden of insulin for people with diabetes by making it more affordable and accessible.

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376)

  • Pro-Healthcare Vote: Yea

  • House: 220–207 (August 12, 2022)

  • Senate: 51–50 (August 7, 2022)

The Inflation Reduction Act introduced several critical measures aimed at lowering prescription drug costs. For the first time, the Act authorizes Medicare to negotiate prices directly with manufacturers for certain high-cost medications, potentially reducing drug expenses significantly for beneficiaries. It also mandates rebates from drug manufacturers if prices for Medicare-covered drugs rise faster than inflation, which discourages unjustified increases. Notably, the Act caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare beneficiaries, directly addressing the financial burden many individuals with diabetes face in accessing essential insulin therapy. Additionally, starting in 2025, the Act establishes a $2,000 annual cap on Medicare Part D out-of-pocket spending, further protecting patients with chronic health conditions, including diabetes, from high medication expenses. The law also ensures adult vaccines are covered without cost-sharing, improving preventive care access.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services (PN11-8)

  • Pro-Healthcare Vote: Nay

  • Senate: 52–48 (February 13, 2025)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services presents a serious threat to people living with diabetes as well as public health for everyone because of his long history of spreading medical misinformation and undermining evidence-based healthcare.