The New Health Care Reform Legislation: Making Health Insurance Affordable for Western Pennsylvania Print E-mail
Sunday, 21 March 2010 19:13

The time for reform is now. Small businesses are burdened by health care costs that prevent them from expanding. Over the past 10 years, Americans with employer-sponsored insurance have seen their premiums more than double. Premiums are rising at a rate three times faster than wages. That’s not sustainable. We must act now to reduce the cost of health care to businesses and families. Through this legislation, we will make health care more affordable for Western Pennsylvanians and reduce our national deficit by more than a trillion dollars.

Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper


On March 21, 2010, Congresswoman Dahlkemper voted for and the House passed historic health care reform legislation that will be signed into law by the president.

H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as passed by the Senate, H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, and the accompanying executive order to be issued by President Obama, will make health care affordable for all Americans and maintain the sanctity of life from conception to natural dealth.

Health insurance reform puts American families and small business owners—not the insurance companies—in control of their own health care.

The new reform legislation makes health insurance affordable for middle class and small businesses through one of largest tax cuts for health care in history while reducing premiums and out‐of‐pocket costs.

Millions of Americans will have access to affordable insurance choices just as big businesses have through a new competitive health insurance market that keeps costs down.

It holds insurance companies accountable to keep premiums down and prevent denials of care and coverage, including for pre‐existing conditions.

Medicare benefits will be strongly improved with lower prescription drug costs for those in the ‘donut hole,’ better chronic care, free preventive care, and nearly a decade more of solvency for Medicare.

The deficit will be reduced by $143 billion over next ten years, and by $1.2 trillion more over the following decade; reining in waste, fraud and abuse, paying for quality over quantity of care.

Failure to enact reform means continued double digit premium increases—some as high as 60%, arbitrary loss of coverage, and huge increases in the national deficit.

I am proud to support this whole-life legislation that preserves the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. This legislation will help pregnant women choose life by providing affordable care during their maternity and for their children before and after they are born. With the president’s executive order, we can rest assured that no federal funds will be used for abortions. The time is now for health care reform in America, and this legislation will provide the reform we need while maintaining the status quo of the Hyde Amendment.

Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper


Health Care Reform and You

Benefits of Reform for the 3rd District

The New Health Care Reform: Short Summary

Immediate Benefits of Reform

Timeline of Reform Implementation

Affordable Coverage for Small Businesses

Helping Employers Afford Coverage

Strengthening Medicare for Seniors

Improving Medicare Part D

Reforming Medicare Advantage

Quality Care for Rural Communities

Combating Waste, Fraud and Abuse

Consumer Protections and Insurance Reforms

Increasing Competition through Insurance Exchanges

The Need for Health Care Reform in Pennsylvania

The Cost of Inaction

Shared Responsibilities

Preventing Federal Funding of Abortions: the Executive Order

Deficit Reduction: the Congressional Budget Office Analysis of the New Health Care Reform Legislation