The following is a press release from the Ways & Means Committee, which Congressman Rangel chairs.

Effort will reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve choice to ensure affordable, quality care for all.

Democratic Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means, led by Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), met with President Obama today to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda and their continuing efforts to reform America’s health care system to reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve choice for patients to ensure affordable, quality care for all. 

During their meeting at the White House, the legislators updated the President on health reform efforts in the House of Representatives and pledged to continue working with him to achieve reforms that will promote economic recovery and put America back on a path toward long-term fiscal health.

“We could not ask for a better leader than President Obama to put America back on track for economic recovery and work to fix our broken health care system,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY).  “President Obama issued a call to action and Congress is responding, working with him to engage stakeholders and interest groups across the nation to build upon what works in our current health system and fix what is broken to ensure affordable, quality care for all.  Today’s meeting underscored that we share the same principles and commitment to health reform and we look forward to President Obama’s continued leadership to make this critical effort a reality.” 

Earlier today, Chairman Rangel joined Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) in a discussion on the current framework for reform with their colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus.  The Chairmen outlined the following framework, which fulfills President Obama’s commitment to health reform that:

• Reduces costs;
• Protects current coverage and preserves choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans; and
• Ensures affordable, quality health care for all.

 
A Brief Overview of the Framework:

• Maintains the ability for people to keep what they have and minimizes disruption;
• Invests in health care workforce to improve access to primary care;
• Invests in prevention and public health programs;
• Creates a new national health Exchange that permits States the option of developing a State or regional exchange in lieu of the national Exchange;
• Establishes shared responsibility among individuals, employers, and government;
• Offers sliding scale credits to ensure affordability for low and middle-income individuals and families;
• Jump starts health care delivery system reforms to reduce costs, maintain fiscal sustainability, and improve quality; and
• Expands authority to prevent waste, fraud and abuse.

Please click here to view the outline the full outline provided by the Chairmen during today’s House Democratic Caucus meeting.

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