U.S. Congressman José E. Serrano ~ Representing the people of the 16th District of New York
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Serrano Helps Roll Out Health Care Reform Bill |
October 29, 2009 – Washington, DC – Congressman José E. Serrano was on hand this morning for the unveiling of the House version of the health care reform legislation, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which will expand coverage to 96% of Americans and make health insurance more affordable for all. A picture of Serrano at the event is available here: http://serrano.house.gov/Gallery.aspx?ID=48
“This morning I stood with my Democratic colleagues as we unveiled the House version of the health care bill that we will consider in coming weeks,” said Serrano. “This plan includes many things that I strongly support, including a public option to ensure competition with the private insurers. This is a key provision. But there are plenty of other provisions that make this a must-pass piece of legislation.”
According to Serrano, some of the most important reforms include:
- Outlawing denials based on ‘pre-existing conditions’ and dropping coverage when people get sick;
- Creation of ‘health insurance exchanges,’ where people without insurance can purchase coverage from insurers or the public option;
- Ending annual and lifetime limits on coverage, and capping out of pocket spending to prevent runaway medical bills;
- Providing tax credits to low-income people to purchase coverage;
- Expanding Medicaid, and improving Medicare;
- Funding a host of prevention, wellness and public health programs.
“Our nation has waited far too long for this health reform legislation—and our people have suffered too many indignities at the hands of our current system,” said Serrano. “This bill is more than a technical fix to a broken system; it is a statement about who we are as a people. We do not believe that people should have to worry about how to pay to treat their illnesses or worse, to go without treatment in a nation like ours. When we pass this bill, we will bring dignity and fairness to our healthcare system. This is a step that is long overdue.”
“My home city of New York and my community in the Bronx stand to benefit a great deal from this health care bill. Many of our working families struggle to afford coverage, if they are even able to obtain it at all. We have many people on Medicare and Medicaid, and we also have a variety of health epidemics. This bill will not only help to make our community healthier, but also reduce the burden on families’ finances, get people out of the emergency room and into a physician’s office, and most of all, prevent people from enduring treatable illnesses. This is a very important piece of legislation for New York. I look forward to seeing President Obama sign it into law.
The following is a link to H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act as Introduced: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
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