Senator Kennedy on committee approval of the HELP bill

[ProSense]

In Historic Vote, HELP Committee Approves the Affordable Health Choices Act

July 15, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today passed The Affordable Health Choices Act, landmark legislation that will reduce health costs, protect individuals’ choice in doctors and plans, and assure quality and affordable heath care for Americans. The bipartisan bill includes more than 160 Republican amendments accepted during the month-long mark-up, one of the longest in Congressional history.

The legislation builds on the existing employer-based system and strengthens it. If an individual likes the health insurance he or she has, they get to keep it. The bill provides better choices for those with no coverage now, and those for whom coverage is unaffordable. The legislation also gives small businesses better options for high value health coverage.

Under the insurance reforms in The Affordable Health Choices Act, no American can be denied health coverage because of a preexisting medical condition, or have that coverage fail to help them when they need it most. No American will ever again be subject to annual or lifetime limits on their coverage, or see it terminated arbitrarily to avoid paying claims.

Moreover, the bill reduces health care costs through stronger prevention, better quality of care and use of information technology. It also roots out fraud and abuse, reduces unnecessary procedures and creates a system that allows everyone to obtain insurance thereby gaining access to doctors, medication and procedures essential for prevention and disease management. By sharing in this responsibility, these nearly 50 million uninsured Americans will avoid eleventh-hour treatment in emergency rooms that drive up costs for everyone else.

Shared responsibility requires that everyone - government, insurance companies, medical providers, individuals and employers - has a part in solving America’s health care crisis. The Affordable Health Choices Act requires those businesses which do not provide coverage for their workers to contribute to the cost of providing publicly sponsored coverage for those workers. It includes an exception for small businesses.

The bill also includes a strong public option that responds to the wishes of the American people to have a clear alternative to for-profit insurance companies. Like private insurance plans The Community Health Insurance Option will be available through the American Health Benefit Gateway, a new way for individuals and small employers to find and purchase quality and affordable health insurance in every state.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill to cost less than $615 billion over 10 years.

A complete summary follows the below statements from the Democratic Members of the HELP Committee:

“I could not be prouder of our Committee. We have done the hard work that the American people sent us here to do. We have considered hundreds of proposals. Where we have been able to reach principled compromise, we have done so. Where we have not been able to resolve our differences, we have treated those with whom we disagree with respect and patience,” Chairman Kennedy said. “As we move from our committee room to the Senate floor, we must continue the search for solutions that unite us, so that the great promise of quality affordable health care for all can be fulfilled.

“We began this process with a blank sheet of paper and a mandate from the American people. We all knew the history, marked with too many disappointments, and I said that this time would be different. Well, this time is different,” said Senator Dodd. “The American people demanded legislation that protects their choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans; cuts costs for families, businesses, and the federal government; and ensures that, in the wealthiest nation in the world, everyone has access to affordable, high-quality care. This time, we have produced the legislation Americans wanted. This time, we have delivered on the promise of real change.”

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A summary of the legislation is below.

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Edited to add link to full statement: KENNEDY ON THE AFFORDABLE HEALTH CHOICES ACT