Update on Health Care Reform
WASHINGTON,
May 18 -
In case you missed it, I wanted to share my thoughts on why I'm supporting health care reform:
Make no mistake, our health care system is broken. If we do nothing, health insurance companies will continue to raise premiums on Michigan families and businesses by double digits each year for the foreseeable future. This is simply unacceptable, and unsustainable.
Passing health care reform will cut costs for Michigan families and businesses, close the prescription drug donut hole for seniors, cut the deficit by $130 billion, ban health insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions or the loss of a job, and allow the American people to sign up for the same kind of quality, affordable, private health care plans that are available to members of Congress. I am confident that a modified version of the Senate bill which removes special deals for states like Louisiana and Nebraska will meet these objectives.
The health insurance industry has made it perfectly clear that their number one priority is to defend their multi-billion dollar profits at the expense of working Michigan families. In the past few weeks, four different special interest groups have spent nearly $300,000 on attack ads in my district to scare voters and kill health care reform. The bottom line is that I don’t work for the powerful health insurance industry – I work for the people of Michigan, and passing health care reform will ultimately help get our economy back on track.
WATCH MY RECENT INTERVIEWS AND FLOOR SPEECHES
WHAT HEALTH CARE REFORM MEANS FOR MICHIGAN
You can learn more about what's in the new health insurance reform bill for families living in the 7th district by reading this fact sheet (PDF), prepared by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
FINAL LEGISLATION
- House Bill: Read the full House Bill as-passed here. (PDF)
- Senate Bill: Read the full Senate Bill as-passed here. (PDF)
- Reconciliation Bill: Read the bill to amend the Senate bill here. (PDF)
- Manager's Amendment: Read the nine-page Manager's Amendment here. (PDF)
HOW THE BILL CUTS THE DEFICIT
A cost estimate of the final bill is available here. (PDF) According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill will cut the federal deficit by $130 billion over the next ten years, and an additional $1.2 trillion during the following decade.
SUMMARY DOCUMENTS
KEY PROVISIONS AT A GLANCE
INFORMATION FOR BUSINESSES
TELL ME YOUR HEALTH CARE STORY
Please keep sending me your feedback by sending me an email, visiting me on Facebook, or calling us at 877-737-6407. If you've been denied insurance for a pre-existing condition, lost coverage when you lost a job, fallen into the Medicare Part D donut hole, seen your premiums increase, or if you like your insurance and want to keep it, I want to hear your health care story.
|
