Editing Ron Wyden (section)

===Health care===
In 2009, Wyden sponsored the [[Healthy Americans Act]], an act that would institute a national system of market-based private insurance. [[Trade union|Union]] interests attacked him for advocating replacement of the employer tax exclusion with a tax deduction that would apply to all Americans.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ezra|last=Klein|authorlink=Ezra Klein|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/05/will_unions_kill_health_care_r.html|title=Will Unions Kill Health Care Reform?|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|date=May 28, 2009|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090709110603/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/05/will_unions_kill_health_care_r.html|archive-date=July 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14031450|title=Soak the rich|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=July 16, 2009|access-date=July 18, 2009|archive-date=July 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720071717/http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14031450|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Wyden supported increasing [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] funding, enrolling more of the uninsured in federal programs (although his Healthy Americans Act would eliminate many of these programs including Medicaid and SCHIP and replace them with private insurance), importing lower priced prescriptions from Canada, and negotiating bulk drug purchases for Medicare in order to lower costs.<ref name="onwyden">{{cite web|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/ron_wyden.htm|title=Oregon Senator Ron Wyden|work=On the Issues|access-date=August 18, 2008|archive-date=September 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905103530/http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/ron_wyden.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2003, Wyden joined Senators [[Lindsey Graham]] and [[Trent Lott]] to help pass the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration's]] [[Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act#Legislative history|Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00458 | title = On the Motion (Motion To Waive CBA RE: H. R. 1 – Conference Report ) | work = [[United States Senate]] Legislation and Records | date = November 24, 2003 | access-date = September 21, 2007 | archive-date = September 25, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070925174013/http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00458 | url-status = live }}</ref> The Bush administration is alleged to have forced officials to hide its true cost, which was triple its original claim.<ref>{{cite news | title = Medicare Drug Benefit May Cost $1.2 Trillion | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9328-2005Feb8.html | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = February 9, 2005 | page = A01 | first1 = Ceci | last1 = Connolly | first2 = Mike | last2 = Allen | access-date = September 22, 2007 | archive-date = September 22, 2005 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050922101321/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9328-2005Feb8.html | url-status = live }}</ref> The bill has been criticized as favoring pharmaceutical companies, as it prohibits the federal government from negotiating prescription drug rates.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/06/opinion/06krugman.html | title = A Serious Drug Problem | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = May 6, 2005 | first = Paul | last = Krugman | author-link = Paul Krugman | access-date = August 11, 2009 | archive-date = August 6, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230806095435/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/06/opinion/a-serious-drug-problem.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

Not long after [[Tom Daschle]]'s withdrawal as Obama's nominee for [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services]] due to a scandal over his failure to pay taxes, ''[[The Oregonian]]'' reported that Wyden was being touted by many health care experts as a likely candidate for secretary-designate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews%2F1233811508202700.xml&coll=7|title=Wyden gains traction as possible health secretary|first=Jeff|last=Mapes|date=February 5, 2009|work=[[The Oregonian]]|access-date=February 7, 2021|archive-date=September 9, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909132906/http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1233811508202700.xml&coll=7|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although Obama chose [[Governor of Kansas|Kansas Governor]] [[Kathleen Sebelius]] instead, Wyden took advantage of the interim to reintroduce his Healthy Americans Act, with additional co-sponsorship from fellow Oregonian Democratic senator [[Jeff Merkley]] and Republican senators [[Lamar Alexander]] and [[Bob Bennett (politician)|Bob Bennett]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/02/wyden_with_new_allies_reintrod.html|title=Wyden, with new allies, reintroduces ambitious health care bill|first=Charles|last=Pope|date=February 6, 2009|work=[[The Oregonian]]|access-date=March 3, 2009|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224451/http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/02/wyden_with_new_allies_reintrod.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine/20090303atlantic-forum.html|title=Senators Identify Key Components of a Successful Health Care Reform Plan|first=James|last=Arvantes|work=AAFP News|date=March 3, 2009|access-date=March 3, 2009|archive-date=March 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330073648/http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine/20090303atlantic-forum.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In late 2011 and early 2012, Wyden attracted attention for working with GOP House Budget Committee Chair [[Paul Ryan]] to develop a Medicare reform plan that would result in semi-privatization of the system, provoking a negative response from his Democratic allies, including Obama.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/100522-obama-opposes-ryan-wyden-plan/ |title=Obama opposes Ryan-Wyden plan |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=December 12, 2011 |first=Sam |last=Baker |access-date=August 27, 2014 |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101104406/http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/199689-white-house-opposes-ryan-wyden-plan |url-status=live }}</ref> The proposal would have kept traditional Medicare as an option, but would also have introduced private health insurance companies into an exchange in which they would offer competing plans to be paid for with government vouchers.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-paul-ryan-and-ron-wyden-want-to-bring-obamacare-to-medicare/2011/12/15/gIQAj0CnvO_blog.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | first=Ezra | last=Klein | author-link=Ezra Klein | title=Wonkbook: Paul Ryan and Ron Wyden want to bring Obamacare to Medicare | date=December 15, 2011 | access-date=September 27, 2020 | archive-date=September 23, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923112820/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-paul-ryan-and-ron-wyden-want-to-bring-obamacare-to-medicare/2011/12/15/gIQAj0CnvO_blog.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2018, Wyden and Representative [[Frank Pallone]] sent a letter to Comptroller General of the United States [[Gene Dodaro]] calling for an investigation of eligibility requirements of Medicaid programs, writing, "If CMS continues to approve work requirements and other restrictions on Medicaid, the consequences could be severe for federal spending and the sustainability of the Medicaid program" and that the public "should have complete information about the consequences of proposed Section 1115 waivers to ensure limited taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently, appropriately, and towards the goal of promoting, not obstructing, access to health care."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/medicaid/380643-dems-want-gao-probe-of-new-requirements-to-get-medicaid/|title=Dems want GAO probe of new requirements to get Medicaid|date=March 28, 2018|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|first=Nathaniel|last=Weixel|access-date=September 27, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806190828/https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/medicaid/380643-dems-want-gao-probe-of-new-requirements-to-get-medicaid|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2018, Wyden was one of 42 senators to sign a letter to Trump administration officials [[Alex Azar]], [[Seema Verma]], and [[Steven Mnuchin]] arguing that the administration was improperly using Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to authorize states to "increase health care costs for millions of consumers while weakening protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions." The senators requested the administration withdraw the policy and "re-engage with stakeholders, states, and Congress."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/u-s-senator-tammy-baldwin-calls-on-trump-administration-to-stop-pushing-health-insurance-plans-that-weaken-pre-existing-condition-protections/|title=U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Trump Administration to Stop Pushing Health Insurance Plans that Weaken Pre-Existing Condition Protections|date=December 20, 2018|work=Urban Milwaukee|access-date=September 27, 2020|archive-date=January 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117122353/https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/u-s-senator-tammy-baldwin-calls-on-trump-administration-to-stop-pushing-health-insurance-plans-that-weaken-pre-existing-condition-protections/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2019, during the [[2018–19 United States federal government shutdown]], Wyden was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to [[Commissioner of Food and Drugs]] [[Scott Gottlieb]] recognizing the FDA's efforts to address the shutdown's effect on public health and employees while remaining alarmed "that the continued shutdown will result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency’s employees and the safety and security of the nation’s food and medical products."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/news/democratic-senators-e2809calarmede2809d-by-shutdowne28099s-potential-impact-on-food-safety/|title=Democratic Senators "Alarmed" by Shutdown's Potential Impact on Food Safety|date=January 15, 2019|work=Food Safety Magazine|access-date=September 27, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015436/https://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/news/democratic-senators-e2809calarmede2809d-by-shutdowne28099s-potential-impact-on-food-safety/|url-status=live}}</ref>