Congressman Carson: Decisions on Health-Care Reform Comes Down to Benefits for Constituents

INDIANAPOLIS - Citing the numerous benefits the majority of people in his district would experience under health-care reform, Congressman André Carson said today that he expects to vote in favor of the health reform package when it is brought to the House floor.

"The benefits that health-care reform will bring to working-class people and small businesses across the board are too significant not to act when the vote is called," Congressman Carson said. "From the family struggling without health coverage to the small business owner getting crushed by skyrocketing health costs to the individual who has quality health insurance coverage through his or her company-all of these constituents will be positively impacted by health-care reform."

Congressman Carson said the health reform legislation will improve coverage for 344,000 residents in the 7th Congressional District who currently have health insurance. And he noted that more than 200,000 families and 15,000 small businesses will qualify for one of the largest health-care-related tax cuts in history aimed at making health coverage more affordable.

Among the numerous other benefits for residents of the 7th District, Congressman Carson said that passing the health care bill into law will:

• Improve Medicare for 89,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
• Extend coverage to 75,500 uninsured residents.
• Guarantee that 14,400 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
• Protect 2,400 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
• Allow 49,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.
• Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 33 community health centers.
• Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $151 million annually.

"Small companies and families across Indianapolis stand to be big winners at the end of the day if we can pass comprehensive health-care reform," said Congressman Carson. "While the bill is not perfect-and no bill is-the benefits far outweigh any concerns I have for this version of the bill.

"The American people and the residents of the 7th Congressional District have so much to gain. It's time to finally deliver on health-care reform."

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