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Healthcare Reform

 

 

Healthcare Reform

As a nurse for over thirty years before becoming a Member of Congress, I have seen first-hand the strengths and deficiencies of our health care system. There are many strengths – the United States is home to cutting-edge medical research and technology, and our doctors and nurses are the world’s best.  Unfortunately, there are significant deficiencies as well.  Many Americans, both those with and without health insurance, are denied full access to our healthcare system.  I believe that it is long past time to reform our healthcare system – to build on what is working and to fix what is not working.

For more than a year the Congress has been considering comprehensive healthcare reform legislation.  Though Americans have struggled with health reform for decades, the 111th Congress began the process of shaping specific legislation as one of its first priorities in January of 2009. 

After months of hearings and deliberations, the House and Senate each passed health insurance reform legislation. On November 7, 2009, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.  On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Both bills made important investments towards improving our health care system.  There were, however, significant differences between the House and Senate bills.  Throughout the first part of 2010, Members of Congress worked with each other and the President to help bridge those differences.

On March 21, 2010, the House of Representatives took a major step towards achieving comprehensive healthcare reform that helps to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, high quality healthcare choices. The health insurance reform legislation that passed the Congress contains the four principles that I think are critical to healthcare reform and have been fighting for: security, access, quality, and affordability. 

I have included the following documents outlining the need for healthcare reform, and the steps that the Congress has taken.

Sincerely,

Carolyn McCarthy
Member of Congress

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Affordable Health Care for America Act