Health Care

In this morning’s USA Today editorial, they take on myths that continue to surface about health care reform. On July 31, U.S. Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and George Miller (D-CA) released a statement exposing the campaign of misinformation on health care.

USA Today says:

There's an old proverb that says a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still getting its boots on. That's surely true when the lie instills deep personal fears, and lies appear to be in full sprint as the nation's health care debate goes local.

Some August town hall meetings around the country have degenerated into furious shouting matches, driven by outrageous misinformation borne of many sources.

The Internet spreads anonymous chain e-mails to a public that is both vulnerable and gullible. Groups with a financial or ideological interest give the rumors a boost. Talk radio provides an echo chamber for the demonizers. Most outrageously, political leaders who know better and could oppose legislation in a more credible way, engage in their own hyperbole or simply remain silent. One Republican senator, South Carolina's Jim DeMint, simply bypassed the substance of the discussion, saying it was a chance to "break" a popular Democratic president. He has plenty of company that isn't quite as blunt.

We encourage you to continue reading the USA Today editorial and learn more about the America’s Health Choices Act.

There has been an email going around with a line-by-line critique of HR 3200 - the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act. Unfortunately, they are not based in truth, but designed to scare recipients. The email is quite long, so for some of the most egregious distortions of the health insurance reform legislation, please visit the Pulitzer prize-winning fact check site run by The St. Petersburg Times.


Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!
 

• Page 22 of H.R. 3200 requests a study, not an audit, of the effects to which rating rules are likely to cause adverse selection in the large group market and employer self insurance market insurance market. This does not require an audit of ALL employers that self insure

Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benes u get

• Nothing in the bill infringes upon you and your doctor’s ability to make medical decisions.  The National Health Benefits Advisory Council is not a “government committee” but is made up of providers, consumer representatives, employers, labor, health insurance issuers, independent experts and representatives of government agencies.  They will make recommendations about minimum standards of care and covered benefits that insurance companies have to offer- ensuring that everyone has a health plan that provides them with adequate coverage. 

Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill - YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!!

• This is a misreading of the text.  This section limits the amount of out-of-pocket costs you will face to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 (indexed to CPI) for a family for a basic package of care.  This ensures you have access to affordable care and won’t go bankrupt paying for it.

Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice!

• The Health Choices Commissioner is charged with ensuring insurance plans are meeting regulations and minimum standards as well as administering affordability credits and monitoring the exchange.  Nothing in this section or in the larger bill permits the Health Choices Commissioner to choose your benefits for you

PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill - HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise

• This is blatantly false.  This section prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against persons when issuing coverage, and has nothing to do with government subsidized coverage to illegal immigrants.  The bill explicitly states that no Federal payments will be used for affordability credits for illegal immigrants.  (P. 143, sec. 246). 

Pg 58HC Bill - Govt will have real-time access 2 individuals' finances & a National ID Healthcard will be issued!

• This section says nothing about a National ID health card, or accessing your personal financial information.  This section promotes administrative simplification- for example being able to look up your insurance coverage and determine how much you will pay and which provider your insurance will accept, at the point of service.  This saves money and gives you, the consumer, information about what you will owe at the front end, rather than being denied or getting a surprise bill from your insurance company weeks after your treatment.
  

Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer

• This section encourages the development of standards to encourage electronic payments between providers and insurance companies.  Administrative simplification measures like these save billions of dollars.  Nothing will give the government access to your bank account.

PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan 4 retirees and their families in Unions & community orgs (ACORN).

• This section provides a limited reimbursement for participating employment-based private plans for part of the cost of providing health benefits to retirees (age 55-64) and their families.  People who have been forced into early retirement in this age group do not qualify for Medicare and this will help them stay on their employer provided, private insurance plan if their employer wants to participate.  Participation is voluntary. This is for all early retirees, and no language targets the provision towards unions or acorn.

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control.

• The bill imposes new regulations on private health care plans that will force them to end unethical practices such as rescissions or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.  The Exchange will improve the quality of coverage and increase the affordability of private insurers in the Exchange.
  

PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill - Govt mandates ALL benefit pkgs 4 priv. HC plans in the Exchange

• Insurance companies in the Exchange will have to offer a basic benefit packages in every service area.  This package will include basic care such as hospitalization, physician visits, medical equipment, mental health, preventative care, maternity and well baby care, and drugs – services that anyone would expect a real insurance policy to cover.  Private insurers may offer a higher tier of coverage with more benefits that are not mandated by the government if they choose.
  

PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration ur Healthcare!

• No, this determines the minimum standards insurance companies must offer coverage for- it has nothing to do with rationing.  Private plans can offer extra benefits like dental or vision coverage for adults, or other non-covered benefits that are not included in the basic level plan.

PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Govt mandates linguistic approp svcs. Example - Translation 4 illegal aliens

• The bill requires plans in the Exchange to offer culturally and linguistic appropriate services.  The U.S. is a diverse country culturally and linguistically.  Many legal residents and citizens of the U.S. speak other languages, and implying that everyone of a different culture in the U.S. is here illegally is intolerant and incorrect.  The bill explicitly states that it will not subsidize coverage for illegal immigrants.  (P. 143, sec. 246). 

Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps 2 sign up indiv. for Govt HC plan
 

• The Health Choices Commissioner will conduct outreach and enrollment activities to educate Exchange-eligible individuals and businesses about enrollment in the new Exchange, which includes many private plans along with the public option.  This includes a toll-free hotline, maintenance of a website, creation of outreach materials, and community locations for enrollment.
  

PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members - U Health care WILL b rationed

• This section has nothing to do with seniors or Medicare. It describes the minimum benefits insurance plans must offer under the Exchange.

U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), the chairmen of the House Committees on Education and Labor and Ways and Means, today congratulated U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on passing the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, H.R. 3200.

“We congratulate Chairman Waxman and the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for taking the next step in this historic process. Now all three committees in the House have said ‘yes’ to health insurance reform that reflects the principles that President Obama has set forth and delivers on the change American families, businesses and local economies need. We look forward to continuing to work together over the coming weeks to reconcile the differences between these three bills and prepare to bring unified legislation to the House floor in September that lowers health costs, protects patients’ choices of doctors and plans, and ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans.”

Today U.S. Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and George Miller (D-CA) highlighted the campaign of misinformation being waged by opponents of health insurance reform on a conference call with reporters today.  Independent fact check organizations have shown that opponents of health insurance reform have resorted to making outrageous and misleading claims about the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200), while refusing to engage in a meaningful debate on the policy of reform.

Learn more here.

WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and George Miller (D-CA) highlighted the campaign of misinformation being waged by opponents of health insurance reform on a conference call with reporters today.  Independent fact check organizations have shown that opponents of health insurance reform have resorted to making outrageous and misleading claims about the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200), while refusing to engage in a meaningful debate on the policy of reform.

“We will hold Republicans and the health insurance industry accountable for peddling fear and misinformation in order to protect the status quo and huge profits,” said Van Hollen, the Assistant to the Speaker. “It has been 44 days since Republicans guaranteed a bill, but instead of keeping their word they have launched a full scale attack on the truth.”

“Fear has become the main diet of the Republicans and the insurance industry,” said Miller, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, which passed H.R. 3200 earlier this month. “Opponents know how close we are to delivering a bill that reflects the goals of President Obama and the change the American people want and deserve, which is why their efforts to mislead the public are only getting more desperate. We won’t allow their lies, scare tactics and political games to stand in the way of passing reforms that will reduce costs, protect people’s choice of doctors and plans, and ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, released the following statement today on the agreement reached between U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and members of the panel. The deal will allow Waxman’s Committee to pass the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) by the August district work period.

Congressional opponents of health care reform are claiming that a provision in the America’s Affordable Health Choice Act will start "us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia.” This is completely false.

The provision that opponents are alluding to is Section 1233. This bi-partisan provision would allow seniors, if they choose, to have an advanced care consultation with their doctor be paid for by Medicare once every five years, or more frequently if the patient has a life threatening disease. That is all. These consultations include "an explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title."

There is no reasonable basis for believing that a senior’s conversations with their doctor on the range of end-of-life care would do anything to promote euthanasia -- which is illegal in 48 states. Discussions between sick or elderly people and their doctors about end-of-life treatment have long been an accepted part of modern patient care. In 2003, a Bush administration agency issued a 20-page report outlining a five-part process for physicians to discuss end-of-life care with their patients and since 1990, Congress has required health-care agencies to inform patients about state laws regarding advance directives such as a living will.

Which leads to another myth: Patients will be forced to sign a living will. There is no mandate to sign a living will. If a patient chooses to complete a living will, those documents will help articulate a full range of treatment preferences, from full and aggressive treatment to limited, comfort care only.

The Committee wishes these were just the occasional rumor, but, unfortunately, even President Obama was asked these questions yesterday at a town hall. The President responded with, “I think that the only thing that may have been proposed in some of the bills -- and I actually think this is a good thing -- is that it makes it easier for people to fill out a living will.”

The Committee is working hard to ensure that America’s Affordable Health Choices Act works for Seniors, and to ensure that the American people have the facts about how health care reform will help them. The AARP endorses this bill because it includes several key provisions that improve Medicare benefits and health care for seniors, including:

• Protects your access to the doctor of your choice—incenting more family doctors to enter the profession and more doctors to practice in rural areas—and allowing all Americans to keep their current doctor.
• Phases in completely filling in the “donut hole” in the Medicare prescription drug benefit (where drug costs are not reimbursed at certain levels), potentially savings seniors thousands of dollars a year.
• Eliminates co-payments and deductibles for preventive services under Medicare.
• Limits cost-sharing requirements in Medicare Advantage plans to the amount charged for the same services in traditional Medicare coverage.
• Improves the low-income subsidy programs in Medicare, such as by increasing asset limits for programs that help Medicare beneficiaries pay premiums and cost-sharing.
• Computerizes medical records so seniors won’t have to take the same test over and over or relay their entire medical history every time they see a new provider.
• Starts rewarding doctors for the quality, not just the quantity, of care they provide.
• Extends solvency of Medicare by 5 years or more.

Our health care related news of the day is Ezra Klein's op-ed in the Washington Post. He explains how the health care exchange would work and the many benefits to all consumers.

Compared with the crazy-quilt system we have now, the idea behind the health insurance exchange is almost weirdly simple: It's a single market, structured for consumer convenience, in which you choose between the products of competing health insurers (both public and private). This is not a new idea. It is how we buy everything from books to socks to soup. Everything, that is, except health insurance. The benefits of reversing that bit of accidental exceptionalism are obvious to anyone who has ever stepped inside a Target: Consumers will benefit from more choice, from direct competition between insurance providers hungry for their business, from regulations meant to protect them from deceptive products, from efficiencies of scale, and from the sort of purchasing power that only a large base of customers can provide. They will benefit, in other words, from an actual, working market -- something health insurers have managed to avoid for far too long.

But all health insurance exchanges are not created equal. Just as there's a weak and strong version of the public plan, there's a weak and strong version of the exchange.

The strong version is national, or at least regional. It's open to everyone: The unemployed, the self-employed and any business, no matter the size, that wants to buy in. There's risk adjustment to reduce the incentive for cherry-picking. The huge pool of users gives the exchange tremendous advantages in scale, simplicity and standardization (experts say that you need at least 20 million to fully achieve these benefits -- easy in a national exchange but harder in a regional or state-based one). With so many potential customers, insurers are eager to participate, and they will bid aggressively to ensure they're included in the market and compete aggressively to make sure they're successful within it. Over time, the combination of increased efficiencies and greater competition drive down costs, which will lead more employers to use the exchange, which will in turn give it more scale and bargaining power. You could easily see this exchange slowly emerge as the de facto American health-care system. And not through government fiat. Through consumer choice.

The America's Affordable Health Choices Act contains this strong version of the health insurance exchange.

He ends his op-ed with this:

The only way that health-care reform will truly give us a more efficient, more effective, more affordable health-care system is if it begins to fundamentally change the inefficient, ineffective, unaffordable system we have now. The strength of the health insurance exchanges is the key to that transition. That is not to underplay the political or policy challenges. Change is scary. But it's what Obama promised, and it's what the health-care system needs.

We encourage you to read Ezra's complete op-ed as well as learn more about the America's Affordable Health Choices Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – An analysis released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), yesterday affirms that H.R. 3200, the  America's Affordable Health Choices Act, would offer targeted assistance to those in need today and lead to an increase in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage.

The analysis was developed in response to questions by House Republicans and offers further evidence that several of the leading claims being made by opponents of health reform are unfounded. In addition to confirming that H.R. 3200 will increase the number of Americans receiving employer-provided care, CBO also reinforces that the vast majority of Americans will be in private, employer-sponsored coverage, and that of the Americans who enter into the health insurance exchange, the majority will choose to enroll in private plans.
 

Yesterday the New York Times wrote an extensive editorial about health care reform and you. It answers many of the frequently asked questions.

• What are the elements of reform?
  
• Is there help for the insured?
  
• Is there more security for all?
• Who pays?
• Who won't be happy?
• What if I have good group coverage?
• Will I pay less?
• Will my care suffer?
• What does it mean for older Americans?

If you'd like to know more specifically how the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act will affect you and your neighbors, see the Committee on Energy and Commerce's breakdown by congressional district.The PDFs provide a district-level analysis of the impact of the legislation. This analysis includes information on the impact of the legislation on small businesses, seniors in Medicare, health care providers, and the uninsured. It also includes an estimate of the impacts of the surtax that is used to pay for the legislation.

Today on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Congressional Republicans continued to mislead the public about the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, and even continued to portray the insurance-funded Lewin Group as a “non-partisan foundation” – an allegation the Washington Post debunked earlier this week.

Here’s a look at some of their biggest whoppers:

CLAIM: Republicans want to strengthen the Inspector General, which is not in the Democratic bill.

Reality Check: The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act establishes vigorous oversight, accountability and consumer protections to ensure that all health care plans operate in the best interest of the American people. It actually does create a new Inspector General to oversee all health care plans, both public and private, that operate in the new health insurance exchange.

CLAIM: The Lewin Group says 100 million Americans move from private insurance to government-run program.

Reality Check: The Lewin Group is hardly a credible or “non-partisan” source (more on that below) on this. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, only about 9-10 million people will choose the public health insurance option under the House Democratic bill. In fact, CBO estimates that 30 million will enter the new health exchange; two-thirds of those people will choose private plans, and one-third of those people will choose the public health insurance option. In addition, CBO estimates that employer-provided care will actually increase by 2 million people under the House bill.

CLAIM: The Lewin Group is a “non-partisan…foundation.”

Reality Check: The Washington Post and other independent media outlets have already exposed the truth about the Lewin Group -- and it’s hardly non-partisan. The group is funded by United Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers. According to the Washington Post: “More specifically, the Lewin Group is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary that was accused by the New York attorney general and the American Medical Association, a physician's group, of helping insurers shift medical expenses to consumers by distributing skewed data.”

CLAIM: Under the House bill, every health plan in America must look the same after 5 years.

Reality check: Again, this is misleading. By 2019, all employer-provided plans will have to meet the minimum standard benefit offered as part of the Exchange. Almost 90 percent of all employer health insurance plans already meet or exceed these standards. Employers that do not meet these minimum standards will have until 2019 to meet the minimum standards.

The American people are sick and tired of the same old political spin machine. They deserve honesty about real solutions that will fix our broken health care system and provide them with the affordable, quality health care they deserve. For more on what the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act will really do, and how it will deliver on the change the American people want, click here.

BusinessWeek has a blog post about a Rand Corp study that shows rising health care costs lead to job losses. BusinessWeek says:

In a first-of-its-kind study, the non-profit Rand Corp linked the rapid growth in U.S. health care costs to job losses and lower output. The study, published online by the journal Health Services Research, gives weight to President Barack Obama’s dire warnings about the impact of rising costs if Congress does not enact health care reform.

The study found that economy-wide, a 10% increase in excess health care costs growth would result in about 120,800 fewer jobs, $28 billion in lost revenues, and $14 billion in lost GDP value. We encourage you to read the entire BusinessWeek post because it explains the methodology and reveals some additional findings.

The Wall Street Journal ran an editorial yesterday that advanced false and misleading information regarding the House’s health reform bill, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, (H.R. 3200).

While most Americans are satisfied with their health insurance coverage now, most Americans are concerned that they will either lose their insurance or face staggering increases in premiums, co-pays or other costs. The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act is about giving all American families more choices of quality, affordable health care and the peace of mind that they will be covered with quality, affordable care no matter of their job or economic situation.  

Claim: Workers won’t be able to keep health coverage they like because Washington bureaucrats will change what employers can offer.

• In 2018, all employer-provided plans will have to meet the minimum standard benefit offered as part of the Exchange. These minimum benefits will be based on 70 percent of the typical health insurance plan offered by employers today.
• More than 90 percent of all employer health insurance plans already meet or exceed these standards. Employers that do not meet these minimum standards will have until 2018 to meet the minimum standards.

Claim: Analysis by the Lewin Group analysis shows that 88 million of Americans will be thrown off of their employer plans.

• The Lewin Group (a wholly-owned subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare) analysis was requested by the right-wing Heritage Foundation has been widely discredited for its flawed review of the House legislation.
• The House bill actually protects and increases employer-sponsored insurance. According to official CBO numbers, 2 million more people would be covered under employer-sponsored insurance than is projected to be the case today – 164 million compared to 162 under current law.

Claim: The House bill removes current law that prevents employee lawsuits over employer provided benefits.

• The legislation does not change current law regarding lawsuits.

Claim: High deductible plans and health savings accounts will be illegal under the House bill

• Nothing in the legislation prevents employers from offering health savings accounts. In fact, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the average HSA today will meet or exceed the minimum benefits standards.

Washington, D.C. -- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released estimates this evening confirming for the first time that H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, is deficit neutral over the 10-year budget window – and even produces a $6 billion surplus.  CBO estimated more than $550 billion in gross Medicare and Medicaid savings.  More importantly, the bill includes a comprehensive array of delivery reforms to set the stage for lowering the future growth in health care costs.  

Net Medicare and Medicaid savings of $465 billion, coupled with the $583 billion revenue package reported today by the House Committee on Ways and Means, fully finance the previously estimated $1.042 trillion cost of reform, which will provide affordable health care coverage for 97% of Americans.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Education and Labor Committee today passed historic legislation that will deliver the fundamental health reforms that Americans want by reducing and controlling costs, guaranteeing people’s choices of doctors and plans, and ensuring access to quality, affordable health care for all.

The Committee passed the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, H.R. 3200, by a vote of 26-22. Five amendments offered by Republicans were adopted. The legislation is expected to be considered by the full House of Representatives in the coming weeks.

Organizations Supporting H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act

• AARP
• AFL-CIO
• American Academy of Nursing
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  
• American College of Physicians
• American College of Surgeons
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
  
• American Medical Association
• American Nurses Association
  
• American Osteopathic Association
• American Psychiatric Association
• American Public Health Association
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Communications Workers of America
• Consumers Union
• Doctors for America
• Families USA
• Healthcare for America Now
• International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
• International Association of Fire Fighters
  
• Main Street Alliance
• National Association of Community Health Centers
• National Breast Cancer Coalition
• National Coalition on Health Care
• National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
  
• National Medical Association
• National Women’s Law Center
• SEIU
• Small Business Majority
  
• United American Nurses
• United Auto Workers
• United Steelworkers
• YMCA
  

Today's New York Times' editorial strongly endorsed the America's Affordable Health Choices Act.

House Democratic leaders have unveiled a bill that would go a long way toward solving the nation's health insurance problems without driving up the deficit. It is already drawing fierce opposition from business groups and many Republicans. This is a bill worth fighting for.

The bill would require virtually all Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty. And it would require all but the smallest businesses to provide health insurance for their workers or pay a substantial fee. It would also expand Medicaid to cover many more poor people, and it would create new exchanges through which millions of middle-class Americans could buy health insurance with the help of government subsidies. The result would be near-universal coverage at a surprisingly manageable cost to the federal government.

....

The legislation also includes some sound ideas for slowing the inexorable rise in health care costs. Such savings are also essential for the nation’s economic health. It adjusts Medicare reimbursements to encourage health care providers to improve productivity, reduce costly hospital readmissions and spend more time on primary care that can head off the need for costly specialists. It expands prevention and wellness activities.

And it establishes a center to compare the effectiveness of various drugs, devices and procedures. Unfortunately, it prohibits the government from requiring public or private insurers to set reimbursement policies based on the findings. These steps may not produce big savings quickly but could lower costs in future years.

The bill makes a mockery of Republican claims that the Democrats are pushing a hugely costly government takeover of medicine.

We encourage you to read the entire editorial, learn more about the America's Affordable Health Choices Act and watch today's markup.

Republicans and right wing commentators who oppose health care reform hope to turn our effort at lowering costs and expanding access into a debate about whether or not to tax small businesses.  In opposing our reform they would instead continue the hidden health care tax on all Americans that exceeds the surcharge on the highest income taxpayers that is included in the House bill.

Before you adopt their rhetoric, remember that nearly half of the cost of the House Democrats’ health plan would be paid by tight cost controls and forcing down the expense of the health care system.  That’s a top priority.  And as for who will pay higher taxes and who won’t under our plan, here are the cold facts.

Only the highest earning 1.2 percent of American households will pay a surcharge for health care reform.  That leaves 98.8 percent of American households who will not pay any surcharge at all.

As for small businesses, according to the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation, only 4.1 percent of all small business owners will be affected by the health care surcharge. The remaining 95.9 percent of small business owners will be completely unaffected by the surcharge.  

Under our bill, a family making up to $350,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI) will not owe any surcharge at all, as President Obama has promised.  A family making $500,000 in AGI will contribute $1,500 to help reduce costs and provide access to affordable health care for all Americans – 0.3 percent of their annual income. And a family making $1 million in AGI will contribute $9,000, or 0.9 percent of their annual income.

Who are the highest earning 1.2 percent of all households?  They are the same households who over the past 20 years have seen a massive shift in wealth in their favor and who over the last 8 years received the lion’s share of President Bush’s tax cuts.

Between 2001 and 2010, the richest one percent of taxpayers alone will have received approximately $700 billion from the Bush tax cuts, according to Citizens for Tax Justice.  Those tax cuts for the wealthy one percent have been the biggest contributor to the record deficits wrung up during the Bush Administration – deficits that were passed along to President Obama in January.

The Washington Post put it another way.  They pointed out that over the past 20 years, the highest earning Americans have seen their tax burden go down and their share of national wealth rise.  The share of adjusted gross income claimed by the highest earning Americans doubled, from 11 percent to 22 percent.  
Meanwhile, average American working families have seen their wages stagnate, their health care costs spiral out of control, and their share of national wealth reduced.

Many Republicans and right wing commentators would do nothing to reform health care and would instead leave in place the hidden $1,800 a year tax on all Americans in the form of rapidly rising health insurance premiums caused by uncontrolled health care spending and the shared cost of covering the uninsured.

Congress faces a clear choice.  Our plan cuts more than $500 billion in health care spending and asks the richest 1.2 percent of all households to make a modest contribution of their income toward the remaining cost of our health care reform effort to reduce costs and strengthen our economy.  The main Republican plan --Just Do Nothing -- maintains the hidden tax on every business, large and small, and every American suffering under today’s broken health care system.

George Miller (D-CA) is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and one of the three principal authors of the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act” introduced this week.

The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200), developed jointly by the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees, is designed to achieve President Obama’s goals of strengthening employer-provided care, while fixing what is broken. The bill would ensure that 97 percent of Americans will be covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019.

The markup was expected to last two days.

Wednesday was only for opening statements only.

Thursday began at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn House Office Building will be for consideration of amendments.

After working through the night, the committee reconvened at 9:15 Friday morning for a series of roll call votes.

H.R. 3200 - America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 was reported favorably to the House with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, and that the Committee authorize the Chairman to transmit the bill, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, to the Committee on Budget in compliance with Section 310 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as the first part of this committee’s recommendations, pursuant to the reconciliation instruction in S. Con. Res. 13 by a vote of 26 to 22.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, praised a new proposal announced by President Obama today that will prepare more students and workers for jobs by strengthening the nation's community colleges. Miller said that he plans to introduce the initiative in the U.S. House of Representatives tomorrow as part of larger legislation that will make college more affordable through major student loan reforms.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Chairmen of the three Committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced comprehensive health care reform legislation today that will reduce out-of-control costs, encourage competition among insurance plans to improve choices for patients, and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

The legislation, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, is consistent with President Obama’s overall goals of building on what works within the current health care system by strengthening employer-provided care, while fixing what is broken. The bill will ensure that 97 percent of Americans will be covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019.
 

The Chairmen of the three Committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced comprehensive health care reform legislation on July 14 that will reduce out-of-control costs, encourage competition among insurance plans to improve choices for patients, and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. (CBO confirms the bill is deficit-neutral over the 10-year budget window, and even produces a $6 billion surplus.)

The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act is consistent with President Obama’s overall goals of building on what works within the current health care system by strengthening employer-provided care, while fixing what is broken. The bill will ensure that 97 percent of Americans will be covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019.

The House Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce have been working together in an unprecedented way as one committee to develop the proposal for health care reform. (The Education and Labor Committee passed H.R. 3200 on July 17, 2009; the Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 3200 on July 17, 2009; the Energy and Commerce Committee is currently marking up H.R. 3200.)

The key principles of legislation include, among other things:

• Increasing choice and competition.
• Giving Americans peace of mind. 
• Improving quality of care for every American.
• Ensuring shared responsibility.
• Protecting consumers and reducing waste, fraud and abuse.

America's Affordable Health Choices Act: Complete Bill Text (HR 3200) »
America's Affordable Health Choices Act: Summary »
America's Affordable Health Choices Act: As Reported »

What's In the Health Care Reform Bill for You? »
Myth vs. Facts »
The Health Insurance Exchange »
Public Health Insurance Option »
Shared Responsibility »
Guaranteed Benefits »

Making Coverage Affordable »
Consumer Protections and Insurance Market Reforms »
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Education and Labor Chairman George Miller's Statement »
White House Statement on the House Discussion Draft for Health Care Reform »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (DCA),
chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, at a press conference to
introduce the House Tri-Committee legislation to reform health care, the America’s
Affordable Health Choices Act.
*****
Three weeks ago, we took a historic step forward in the critical quest to fix our broken
health insurance system. We presented a reform discussion draft to the Congress and the
American people.

Our three committees heard from over 70 stakeholders at hours of hearings on our draft.
We held discussions with our colleagues whose input has strengthened our effort.

Today, we are proud to introduce a health care reform bill based on our work so far, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.”

Our bill embraces the desires of the American people and meets the goals articulated by
President Obama -- to lower costs, preserve choice, and expand access to care. And our
bill addresses America’s economic and fiscal health and the medical well being of our
people.

Clearly, economic growth is compromised by spiraling health care costs and the rising
deficits fueled by unchecked and inefficient health care spending. That is why our bill
will curtail health care spending and be fully paid for. It will save more than $500
billion in health care expenditures that will drive down the cost of health care. And we
will not pass new costs on to future generations.

Let me be specific about what our bill means for average Americans:

LOWER COSTS FOR HEALTH CARE

• No more co-pays or deductibles for preventative care.
• No more rate increases because of a pre-existing condition, your gender, or
occupation.
• An annual cap on your out-of-pocket expenses.
• Group rates of a national pool if you buy your own plan.
• Guaranteed, affordable oral, hearing and vision care for your kids.

GREATER CHOICE OF CARE

• You can keep your doctor and your current plan if you like them.
• Your choices will be protected and enhanced. You will have access to a wide
variety of choices for quality and affordable plans, including a high-quality public
health insurance option to compete with private insurers.

HIGHER QUALITY OF CARE

• You and your doctors make health care decisions – not insurance companies.
• More family doctors and nurses will be able to enter the workforce, helping
guarantee you access to better treatment that meets your needs.
• Mental health care must be covered.

STABILITY AND PEACE OF MIND

• Never again will you go without health insurance.
• You will have the peace of mind knowing that you will never lose coverage if you
lose a job or switch jobs.
• You will never be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
• And you won’t face any lifetime limits on how much insurance companies will
pay – meaning you will never again be one treatment away from bankruptcy.

And our reforms will cover 97 percent of Americans by 2019.

Beginning this week, our committees will mark up our respective areas of jurisdiction.
Our Republican and Democratic colleagues have already been busy drafting amendments
to the bill and they will have the opportunity to offer their amendments.

We will continue to improve our bill by working with those with constructive ideas and
will endeavor to satisfy the many competing demands that naturally accompany a bill of
this scope and importance.

Not every change can be included nor every concern resolved. That is the legislative
process.

But we will -- this year -- produce a bill that is fair and fully paid for, that reduces costs
and preserves choice, and that expands access.

And it will be a major accomplishment for the American people.

Today at 2:45pm Eastern time, House Democrats will discuss the health care reform legislation introduced by the Tri-Committees (the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees).  The three panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House have been working together as one committee to develop a single bill that fulfills President Obama’s goals of reducing health care costs, protecting and increasing consumers’ choices, and guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

The USA Today has a poll on their front page that shows Americans want a health care bill. On June 19th, House Democrats released a Discussion Draft that would reduce out-of-control costs, improve choices and competition for consumers and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. It would also guarantee that almost every American is covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019.

The USA Today poll found:

The poll of 3,026 adults, surveyed Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points. Some questions, asked of half the sample, have an error margin of +/-3 points.

By 56%-33%, those surveyed endorse the idea of enacting major health care changes this year. Just one in four say it's not important to them.

When it comes to financing the costs, six of 10 favor the idea of requiring employers to provide health insurance for their workers or pay a fee instead. Increasing income taxes on upper-income Americans, an approach backed by House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is endorsed by 58%. Just over half support taxing sugary soft drinks.

We encourage you to read the entire article and visit our webpage with many fact sheets about the Discussion Draft.

Chairman Miller appeared on the Ed Show on July 8, 2009 to talk about health care reform. The embedded segment is 13:14 and Chairman Miller's interview begins at 9:45.

A new study released today by the Economic Policy Institute that concludes that claims of massive jobs losses if a ‘play-or-pay” proposal was enacted as part of health care reform are vastly overstated. In fact, health care reform in general, based on the Obama principles, would produce significant job gains, the EPI wrote.

‘Play or pay’ policy as a part of health care reform would require that employers either provide health insurance to their workers or pay a penalty as a percentage of their payroll in order to assist low- or moderate-income families to obtain quality and affordable health care.

Under the House Tri-Committee discussion draft proposal, employers who choose not to provide basic health insurance to workers would have to pay an 8 percent penalty based on their overall payroll. Those workers would then be able to choose a plan that best meets their needs from a menu of insurance options in the national health care exchange, which would include both private plans and a public health insurance option.

The EPI also found that past studies that claim significant job losses as a result of ‘play-or-pay’ were based on proposals not on the table today in either the House or the Senate.

View the EPI analysis of ‘play-or-pay’.
 

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. George Miller (D-CA) released the following statement calling on  the House to approve the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, one of President Obama’s top domestic priorities.

“Passage will represent a monumental step forward in our effort to build a vibrant and green economy based on clean energy, less foreign oil, and a reduction in greenhouse gases,” said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee and one of the co-authors of the energy bill. “Californians have led the nation in breaking our dependence on fossil fuels and have always known that the future belongs to clean energy technology jobs.  It is long past time for us to stop sending our national treasure to pay for foreign oil. This bill gives us the opportunity to follow California’s lead and move America in a new energy direction.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Tri-Committee Discussion Draft advances President Obama’s goals for health care reform, a diverse group of small business owners, economists, consumers, patient advocates and other stakeholders told the House Education and Labor Committee today.

The plan, which was unveiled last Friday by the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees, would reduce out-of-control costs, improve choices and competition for consumers and expand access to quality, affordable health care. It would provide health care coverage to at least 95 percent of Americans by 2019, the most of any proposal to date.

“Consistent with President Obama’s goals, our discussion draft builds on what works and fixes what’s broken in our current system,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee and one of the authors of the draft. “It lays the foundation for an American solution that will reduce costs for families, businesses and taxpayers, guarantee choice of doctors and plans, and ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality health care.”

“The Tri-Committee bill, I think, is an important step in coming up with a bill that does encompass so many of the principles that the President has said was important, and that the dual thing of expanding coverage and making the kinds of meaningful reforms that will slow the growth rate of cost,” said Dr. Christina Romer, the Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors.

The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June 23 on the forthcoming draft proposal for health care reform developed by the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees. The draft proposal is designed to achieve President Obama’s goals of controlling health care costs, preserving health care choices, and ensuring quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

On Friday, NPR's All Things Considered ran a story about the chairmen of the three committees with jurisdiction over health policy unveiling of their discussion draft for health care reform.

House leaders unveiled Friday their version of a health care overhaul. House Democrats are showing unusual unity on the complicated issue: a single measure will proceed through three different committees on its way to a House floor vote slated for late July.

Listen here or download the MP3 (1.65MB).

Below are the prepared remarks of Chairman George Miller at a press conference with the chairs of the other committees with health policy jurisdiction at the U.S. House of Representatives to unveil the Tri-Committee Discussion Draft for Health Care Reform.

Today marks a historic moment in America’s urgent quest to fix our broken health insurance system.

For the past six months, our three committees -- the committees that have jurisdiction over health care in the House -- have worked together in an unprecedented manner to develop and present a health care reform discussion draft to Congress and the American people that embodies President Obama’s call for fundamental change in our health care system.

President Obama asked us to draft a reform bill that will control costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality and affordable health coverage for all Americans.

I believe that our draft lives up to those essential principles. Our discussion draft reflects months of hard work and the views of many of our colleagues.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the chairmen of the three committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled their discussion draft for health care reform that would reduce out-of-control costs, improve choices and competition for consumers and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. The discussion draft would guarantee that almost every American is covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019.

Consistent with President Obama’s goals, the draft builds on what works in the current health care system by strengthening employer-provided care, while fixing what is broken with it. The draft would cover more Americans than any other proposal released to date.

Updated: for the most up-to-date information on health care reform, please visit our page about HR 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.

-----------------
On June 19, the chairmen of the three committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled their discussion draft for health care reform.  The draft would reduce out-of-control costs, improve choices and competition for consumers and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. It would also guarantee that almost every American is covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019. More from the press conference »

Consistent with President Obama’s goals, the draft builds on what works in the current health care system by strengthening employer-provided care, while fixing what is broken with it. The draft would cover more Americans than any other proposal released to date.

Today at 1:00 pm EDT, the chairmen of the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees will unveil their discussion draft for health care reform. The three panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House, have been working together as one committee to develop a single bill that fulfills President Obama’s goals of reducing health care costs, protecting and increasing consumers’ choices, and guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June 23 on the draft proposal for health care reform developed by the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees.  The draft proposal is designed to achieve President Obama’s goals of controlling health care costs, preserving health care choices, and ensuring quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

WHAT:          
Hearing on “The House Tri-Committee Draft Proposal for Health Care Reform”
 
WHO:            
Panel I:
Dr. Christina Romer, Chair, Council of Economic Advisers, Washington, DC

Panel II:
John Arensmeyer, Chief Executive Officer, Small Business Majority, Sausalito, CA
Dr. Jacob Hacker, Professor and Co-Director of the Berkeley Center on Health, Economic, and Family Security, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Ron Pollack, Founding Executive Director, FamiliesUSA, Washington, DC
Gerald Shea, Assistant to the President, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC
Fran Visco, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition, Washington, DC
Additional Witnesses TBA

Panel III:
Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan, Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Karen Pollitz, Research Professor and Project Director of the Health Policy Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
William Vaughn, Senior Health Policy Analyst, Consumers Union, Washington, DC
Celia Wcislo, Assistant Division Director, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Boston, MA
ReShonda Young, Small Business Owner, Alpha Express, Inc. on behalf of the Main Street Alliance, Waterloo, IA
Additional Witnesses TBA
                       
WHEN:          
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
12:00 p.m. EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
 

The Contra Costa Times has an article about how health care reform is taking center stage in Congress. Building upon the draft health reform outline released last week by the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and the Education and Labor Committees, Chairman Miller has continued to work toward health care reform that increases access and brings down costs.

Proponents say the reforms will bring down costs through increased competition and provide every American access to health care regardless of employment status or income.

"I think it's going to happen," Miller said of the restructuring legislation. "People recognize the shortcomings of the system they now have. The economy has shown the vulnerability of families at all levels when people lose their jobs and their health care. It's very hard to see how you fix the American economy if you don't fix health care."

To learn more about how the Committee and Congress is working to create a more effective and efficient health care system that will guarantee quality, affordable health coverage for all American families and workers visit our webpage and the Office the Majority Leader's Health Care Reform Clearinghouse.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, leaders of the Committees with jurisdiction over health policy briefed members of the House Democratic Caucus on the current framework and timing of health reform efforts in the House of Representatives.  The discussion, led by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA), focused on the key principles of reducing health care costs, protecting current coverage and preserving choice for patients to ensure affordable, quality care for all. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Reps. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Henry Waxman (D-CA) and George Miller (D-CA), the chairmen of the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor Committees, joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at a meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss their efforts to pass health care reform legislation this year. After the meeting, the chairmen released the following statement: 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, today lauded the Senate’s confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Miller said today’s action further strengthens prospects for meeting President Obama’s goal of enacting comprehensive health care reforms this year.

The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Thursday, April 23 to examine various health care reform proposals that will guarantee quality and affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans.

WASHINGTON, DC – Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) met today with the chairmen of the three committees working to develop health care reform legislation in the House - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (CA), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (NY), and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (CA) – and other health care leaders to discuss the reform initiative. Hoyer and the three chairmen issued the following statement after the meeting:

“We may have three Committees with jurisdiction over health care in the House of Representatives, but we speak with one voice.  Reforming America’s health care system to control costs and ensure that everyone has affordable care that meets their needs is central to long-term economic recovery and growth.  We are committed to working together to advance health reform legislation that meets the objectives laid out by President Obama. Today’s meeting was very productive as we continue to move forward in a focused and coordinated way to improve health care for all Americans. ”

The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 23 to examine various health care reform proposals that will guarantee quality and affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans.

WHAT:          
Hearing on, “Ways to Reduce the Cost of Health Insurance for Employers, Employees and their Families”

WHO:            
Karen Davenport, director of health policy, Center for American Progress
David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine, Harvard University
Michael Langan, principal, Towers Perrin
William Oemichen, president and CEO, Cooperative Network, Madison, Wisc.
Ron Pollack, executive director, FamiliesUSA
Janet Trautwein, executive vice president and CEO, National Association of Health Underwriters
William Vaughan, senior health policy analyst, Consumers Union

WHEN:         
Thursday, April 23, 2009
10:30 a.m., EDT
                        
WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

 

E.J. Dionne had a column in yesterday's Washington Post outlining why "this is the year Congress will finally give every American access to health insurance." He highlights the efforts of legislators who "have quietly been preparing the ground for reform since the Democrats took over two years ago. And the competing interest groups seem more inclined to get what they can out of reform than to stop the enterprise altogether."

Mr. Dionne notes the importance of the House in passing comprehensive health care reform and how "Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), one of the House's resident health-care mavens, has been working closely with two other committee chairs, Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)."

To show how committed they are to working together toward a common solution, Reps. Miller, Rangel and Waxman wrote a letter to President Obama in early March saying, "In order to achieve our shared goal of enacting health reform this year, we will coordinate our committee consideration so that action on the House floor can occur before the August recess."

We recommend you read Mr. Dionne's entire article.

WASHINGTON, DC –– Today Chairmen Henry A. Waxman, Charles B. Rangel, and George Miller sent a letter to President Obama regarding their commitment to work together to pass national health reform.  The text of the letter follows: 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – While most Americans get health care coverage from their job, rising costs are forcing more employers to drop coverage or shift costs onto their workers, witnesses told the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee today. 

The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine ways to increase health care insurance coverage for Americans through their employer. While nearly 47 million Americans currently have no health insurance at all, more than 27 million of those uninsured have jobs.

On Tuesday, March 10, the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee will hold a hearing to examine ways to increase health care insurance coverage for Americans through their employer. Watch live here » While nearly 47 million Americans currently have no health insurance at all, more than 27 million of those uninsured have jobs.

WHAT:          
Hearing on “Strengthening Employer-Sponsored Health Care”
 
WHO:            
Mark Derbyshire, small employer, Aberdeen, Maryland
Bruce Pyenson, principal and consulting actuary, Milliman Inc.
John Sheridan, CEO, Cooper University Hospital
Kenneth Thorpe, chair of the health policy and management department, Emory University
E. Neil Trautwein, vice president and employee benefits counsel, National Retail Federation
Jim Winkler, health management practice leader, Hewitt Associates
                       
WHEN:          
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
10:30 a.m. ET

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today after attending the White House Summit on Health Care.

“Today President Obama not only took a very productive first step toward putting us on the path to meaningful health care reform, but he began an inclusive process by bringing all stakeholders to the table. He’s being honest about the reasons we’re in this mess – and that reforming health care is a fiscal and economic necessity. As we move forward, I hope all players involved follow his lead by putting good policies above politics.

Click here to read the guidance released by the IRS on March 31, 2009 (PDF) »

Summary:  Recession-related job losses are threatening health coverage for many families. To help workers maintain their health coverage while they are between jobs, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides a 65% reduction in the premiums payable by involuntarily terminated workers and their families for health care continuation coverage under COBRA. This premium reduction will last for up to 9 months.  Workers who have been involuntarily terminated during the period from September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009 and their families are eligible. This premium reduction also applies to health care continuation coverage that may be required by states for insurance policies sponsored by small employers (so called state mini-COBRAs) and public employees.  This provision will help 7 million people maintain their health insurance by providing a vital bridge for families when workers have been forced out of their jobs as a result of the recession.

Chairman George Miller has been invited to speak at a panel on health care at President Obama’s White House summit on fiscal responsibility. The panel also includes Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, among others.

“Passing the President’s economic recovery plan was only the first step in our efforts to restore our nation’s economic and fiscal health,” said Miller. “Eight years of reckless fiscal policies and the ongoing economic crisis have left our country in a sea of red ink. President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have made it clear that they are committed to using the resources of the federal government to rescue our economy but that they also are committed to operating our government in a fiscally responsible manner. Whether it is our health care system, our tax policy, or other issues, I look forward to working with the president and the speaker to make our nation more efficient while raising the quality of services Americans receive. Doing so will strengthen our middle class and our nation."

Improving workers’ access to quality, affordable health care is a top priority for the Education and Labor Committee in the 111th Congress. As chairman of the committee, Miller shares jurisdiction on health care reform with the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees.

***

DETAILS:

WHAT: Chairman Miller to Speak on Health Care Panel at White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit
WHEN: Today, beginning at 1:00 p.m. eastern

WASHINGTON – As part of legislation to rescue the American economy, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved measures to expand access to affordable health care coverage for workers who lose their jobs as a result of the recession by a vote of 244 to 188. The Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimate that the package would help 8.2 million people keep health care coverage for themselves and their families.