Representative Casten believes every American has a right to universal, quality, affordable health care. In Congress, Rep. Casten has worked to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Thanks to the ACA, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions or by age, young people can stay on their parents' health plan until they turn 26, and all insurance plans must cover essential health benefits like maternity care, hospital stays, and prescription drugs.

Rep. Casten is also working to lower the cost of health care which still remains too high and out of reach for far too many. He has introduced the FLAT Prices Act which would target unfair price hikes for prescription drugs. The legislation imposes penalties on pharmaceutical companies who harm consumers with sudden, exorbitant price increases and promotes competition among manufacturers to lower drug prices.

Rep. Casten also believes we need to lower the cost of prescription drugs, which is why he co-sponsored the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. He was proud to secure measures in the Inflation Reduction Act to limit the cost of insulin at $35/month for more than three million people with diabetes covered by Medicare.

In 2021, recognizing that seniors were most vulnerable to COVID-19, Rep. Casten introduced the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to COVID Treatments Act, which would require Medicare Part D plans to cover drugs to treat COVID without cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other utilization management barriers.

Rep. Casten is a co-sponsor of the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care Affordable Act, legislation that will lower Illinoisan's health insurance premiums, crack down on junk health insurance plans, and strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Mental Health

Rep. Casten is a strong advocate for increasing access to mental health support. In 2022, he proudly secured $1,000,000 in funding for a Central Receiving Center at the DuPage County Health Department to use as an easily accessible location and single point of entry for law enforcement, emergency personnel or families to bring an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. Additionally, he secured $250,000 in funding for on-site after school mental health support access at local elementary schools.

Rep. Casten is a co-sponsor of the Mental Health Services for Students Act, legislation that provides funding for public schools across the country to partner with local mental health professionals to establish on-site mental health services for students.

Rep. Casten is a champion for access to mental health care for pilots and introduced the bipartisan Mental Health in Aviation Act. Currently, pilots and air traffic controllers who seek mental health care are unfairly penalized by a system that perpetuates a culture of silence. While aviation professionals are mandated to report if they seek mental health care, once they take that step, they are faced with delays, confusion, and overbroad regulation in the process of returning to work. Rep. Casten's bill would eliminate significant barriers to mental health care for aviators.