|
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Melissa Bean (IL-08) announced her support for final passage of the health insurance reform legislation moving through Congress and released the following statement:
“In the years since I came to Congress, I’ve heard from thousands of families and small businesses across the 8th District, whose stories illustrated their concerns with rising health care costs and the need for reform. This bill will provide them with the health care security, affordability and choice they seek, while yielding an historic federal deficit reduction of $1.3 trillion.
“This legislation addresses the key concerns of those families and small businesses. For families who have insurance, this bill provides health care security by prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, dropping coverage when families need it most, or instituting lifetime caps that drive Americans to bankruptcy. For small business owners and employees, who currently pay more than those at large firms for the same benefits, this bill allows them to pool together to access lower rates and a wider choice of insurance plans. For seniors, the bill protects and extends the Medicare system they rely on, and preserves and expands benefits while reducing drug costs in the ‘donut hole.’ And for 31,500 Americans without insurance in the 8th District, this bill finally provides access to affordable coverage choices.
“As a fiscal conservative, it was important to me that this legislation benefit not just our physical health, but also our fiscal health. The final legislation approved today delivers the most significant deficit reduction in more than a decade, cutting our federal deficit by $1.3 trillion over 20 years, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. Experts, including those at the Mayo Clinic, expect that the bill’s significant reforms to Medicare and its transition to a value-based payment system are likely to yield significant additional cost reductions for both government and the private sector.”
-30-
|
|
