Health Care Reform

Halvorson Votes for Bipartisan House Health Insurance Reform Bill


Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–November 7, 2009.  Working to secure stable, affordable, quality health care for all Americans, Rep. Debbie Halvorson (IL-11) voted today to pass the bipartisan Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962.

“Our families are facing a health care crisis that is drowning them in debt and denying them the care they need.  By passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act, we’re delivering on our promise to secure access to affordable, quality, stable care for all Illinoisans.

I’ve worked my entire career to make health care work for us, because I’ve seen throughout my life how it hasn’t.  I’ve watched my mother fight for coverage after beating breast cancer because it was a ‘pre-existing condition’.  I’ve spoken with tens of thousands of constituents throughout the past several months, and listened to the concerns of my friends and neighbors. The stories of so many Americans denied and priced out of care have proven to me we are facing a crisis. We need health care reform, and we need it now.

This bill offers a fundamental guarantee that every American can access good health care at an affordable price. It allows those who like the insurance they have to keep it, expands access to care for those who are denied insurance due to a pre-existing condition, and does not add one dime to the deficit. This is why I supported this bill, and this is why it will work for the people of Illinois.” said Halvorson.

H.R. 3962 reduces the deficit by $30 billion over 10 years.  It sets up a voluntary insurance exchange where private and public coverage options will be available to promote choice and competition. The bill ends coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions.  Small businesses, the uninsured and families who can find affordable insurance in the individual market can access the exchange.  It closes the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ and provides immediate relief for seniors facing rising prescription drug costs.

H.R. 3962 has been endorsed by over 300 groups, including AARP, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Consumers Union and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.  More information about the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which passed by a margin of 220 to 215, can be found in the fact sheet below, or at Rep. Halvorson’s website, halvorson.house.gov.

 

Source: halvorson.house.gov


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