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Health Care Reform

On Tuesday, March 23, President Obama signed into law The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – the most significant health insurance reform measure since Medicare was established more than 40 years ago.

After careful consideration of the plan, a year of debate, and thousands of conversations with the people of New York’s 7th Congressional District, I ultimately voted in favor of this measure. While the bill is not perfect, it has clear and substantial benefits for Bronx and Queens families.

First and foremost, it ensures that American families come first when it comes to accessing health care coverage. For far too long, the health insurers’ bottom line, not the health and well-being of the American people, was the driving force behind decision-making in health coverage. Under the new plan, insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage or raising rates because of a person’s age, gender or if they have a pre-existing condition (such as cancer, diabetes or asthma). Children and young adults will also be allowed to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until the age of 26.

Second, it will help to rein in costs. The skyrocketing rise in health care costs have put U.S. businesses, large and small, at a disadvantage with their foreign competitors, and it’s caused them to reduce benefits and cut jobs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act goes to the heart of this problem by providing small businesses with tax credits to offset the costs of providing health insurance to their employees and holding insurance companies accountable for unreasonable rate hikes by requiring them to justify premium increases. All told, health reform will contain costs, maintain people’s benefits and reduce our nation’s deficit by $138 billion over the next 10 years.

Third, it expands Medicare benefits by eliminating all deductibles and co-pays for preventive medicine, while also closing the gap in prescription drug coverage in the Part D program. The gap will immediately be cut by $250 and will be phased out completely by 2020, ultimately saving seniors $3,000 per year.

There is no doubt that this reform measure is not perfect. But, like any significant change in policy, it will always be a work in progress, and we will make necessary changes as we move forward. In the meantime, thousands of New York families will have improved access to health care and greater peace of mind.

I know many New Yorkers will have questions about the health reform measure and I want to help people get the facts. Below, please find information on the bill, including the text and a summary of the bill, a fact sheet on how the bill will benefit New Yorkers, and much more. My staff is also just a phone call away should you have any questions or need additional information.

Joe's Goals for Reform Included in Health Insurance Bill: Putting Patients’ Needs First
Overall Changes under Health Insurance Reform

What's in the Health Insurance Reform Bill for New York Families Living in the 7th Congressional District?
What Health Care Reform Means for the People of the Bronx & Queens

What’s in Health Insurance Reform Bill for Seniors?
What Health Care Reform Means for New York Seniors

Joe's Tele-Town Halls on Health Care Reform
Click the links below to hear audio from my two tele-town halls on health care
Crowley Health Care Town Hall 11-7-09.mp3
Crowley Health Care Town Hall 7-20-09.mp3

More Information on the Health Care Reform bill
Read the Summary of the Bill
Read the Health Care Bill
Read the Health Care Reconciliation Bill
Read a Section-by-Section Analysis of the Reconciliation Bill
Immediate Effects of the Health Care Bill
List of Organizations Expressing Support For Health Reform Legislation Paying for Health Care Reform

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