Health Care
For the first time in America’s history, all Americans will have access to quality, affordable health care under a final package of health insurance reforms passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21, 2010. The legislation will protect Americans from the worst insurance industry practices, offer the uninsured and small businesses the opportunity to obtain affordable health care plans, cover 32 million uninsured Americans, all while reducing the deficit by $143 billion over the next decade and more than a trillion dollars over 20 years.
The health insurance reform package combines the best ideas from all sides of the debate, capping a year-long transparent legislative effort. It delivers on President Obama’s key goals for health reform of slowing the growth of health costs, creating competition in the health insurance marketplace, and keeping insurers honest. It will protect people’s choices of doctors and health plans, and guarantee that every American can access quality, stable, and affordable health insurance coverage. It will rein-in the worst insurance company abuses, such as discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, policy rescissions when patients are in the middle of treatment, or insurance rate hikes without justification. Many of these protections kick in immediately.