Supporting Health Care Reform -- March 15, 2010
Thank you for reading another edition of my e-newsletter, the Carson Courier. For additional information on these and other topics, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov.
In this week's Carson Courier:
House Health Care Bill Improves Health Care and Lowers Cost
House Health Care Bill improves Health Care and Lowers Cost:
After months of debate and negotiation, a vote in the House on health care reform is expected this week. This legislation would overhaul our nation's broken health-care system by reducing cost and unnecessary waste and increase coverage to millions. This week's Carson Courier provides a succinct break-down of what this historic legislation means to hard working Hoosiers in the 7th District.
• Increases federal funding provided to states for expanding Medicaid.
• Combats Medicare waste, fraud and abuse by requiring medical professionals to conduct random undercover investigations of healthcare providers who receive taxpayer money. The President's health-reform plan will reduce the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years - and about $1 trillion over the second decade - by cutting government overspending and reining-in fraud.
• Benefits physicians by increasing Medicare reimbursement.
• Increases the amount of federal subsidies going to moderate-income individuals and families for the purchase of health insurance.
• Establishes the Health Insurance Rate Authority to increase oversight of health insurance plans, including reviewing unfair rate increases.
• Decreases the penalty for individuals that choose not to obtain health insurance and provides $40 billion in tax credits to small businesses to support employer-sponsored health care coverage.
• Closes the Medicare Part D prescription drug donut-hole completely.
• Invests in Community Health Centers (big for our district-and provisions will go in right away for additional funding).
• Going forward, health care plans will be required to cover adult dependents up to 26 years of age.
• The House bill removes all annual and lifetime limits on health care benefits.
• Bans pre-existing condition exclusions that causes eight people every minute to be denied health coverage, forced to pay higher insurance rates or otherwise be discriminated against. Health-care reform ensures that coverage will be provided to those who need it most.
• Increases coverage for preventative medical services.
Misinformation and scare tactics (i.e. "death panels") have served to derail sensible and sorely needed health care reform. As your Representative in Congress, I serve at the pleasure of my constituents in the 7th District. My decision to support health care reform is, however, based on principle--the principle that all Americans are entitled to decent health care. I believe that this health care bill will reduce cost and improve quality of care.