Health Care
Access to quality, affordable health care is critical to the well being of America, today and in the future. Central to this is addressing the needs of the 46 million uninsured Americans, strengthening the Medicare system, providing health insurance to our low-income children, funding cutting-edge research into cures for diseases, and giving patients the clout to challenge the decisions of health insurers. Only through action on these critical issues can we meet the pressing health care concerns of our nation.
Health Care Reform
On February 25th, House and Senate leaders of both parties met with President Obama at the Blair House to discuss moving forward with comprehensive health reform. On March 18th, House Democrats unveiled legislation to improve the Senate-passed bill achieving our three key goals—affordability for the middle class, accessibility for all Americans, and accountability for the insurance industry. On March 21st, the House passed the Senate version of health insurance reform legislation by a vote of 219 to 212—sending it to the President for his signature into law on March 23rd. The House also passed the Reconciliation bill to improve the Senate bill by a vote of 220 to 211 on the 21st—which the Senate passed on March 25th, with two small changes, and it returned to the House later that evening, passing by a vote of 220-207. The President signed this bill on March 30th.
- Watch Speaker Pelosi’s floor speech»
- Watch the enrollment ceremony where the Speaker signed the legislation and sent it to the President»
- Watch the signing ceremony for the legislation where the President signed the legislation into law»
The final health insurance reform legislation will ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and significantly reduce long-term health care costs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that it will provide coverage to 32 million more people, or more than 94% percent of Americans, while lowering health care costs over the long term. This historic legislation will reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years, with $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction in the following 10 years. What the legislation does for you:
Health insurance reform puts American families and small business owners—not the insurance companies—in control of their own health care.
Making health insurance affordable for middle class and small businesses—one of largest tax cuts for health care in history—reducing premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
Giving millions of Americans access to affordable insurance choices just as big businesses have—through a new competitive health insurance market that keeps costs down.
Holding insurance companies accountable to keep premiums down and prevent denials of care and coverage, including for pre-existing conditions.
Improving Medicare benefits with lower prescription drug costs for those in the ‘donut hole,’ better chronic care, free preventive care, and nearly a decade more of solvency for Medicare.
Reducing the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years, and by $1.2 trillion more over the following decade; reining in waste, fraud and abuse, paying for quality over quantity of care.
Failure to enact reform means continued double digit premium increases—some as high as 60%, arbitrary loss of coverage, and huge increases in the national deficit.
Learn much more about the bill on our current legislation page>>
Follow recent news and action on health care reform on our blog, the Gavel>>
Health Care for Children
Democrats in Congress and President Obama provided a down-payment on children's health by enacting the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization into law on February 4, 2009. The program currently provides health insurance for more than 7 million children, but this legislation will protect coverage for those children and expand it to include an additional 4 million children who would otherwise be uninsured. Similar bipartisan legislation was vetoed twice by President Bush in 2007. By extending health coverage to millions more children, this bill is an important first step in stemming the rising tide of the uninsured.
The reauthorization of the SCHIP program presents an historic opportunity to put an end to the morally unacceptable fact that nine million American children live every day without insurance.
The Gavel: House Sends State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act To President>>
Medicare for Seniors
Congress is working to maintain Medicare’s commitment to insure our seniors and reverse harmful cuts proposed by the Bush Administration. After President Bush vetoed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, H.R. 6331, the House overrode the President's veto on July 15, 2008. This legislation prevents the pending 10 percent payment reduction for physicians in Medicare, enhances Medicare preventive and mental health benefits, improves and extends programs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries, and extends expiring provisions for rural and other providers.
Speaker Pelosi on the Medicare Improvements Act>>
Genetic Nondiscrimination
On May 1, 2008, the House passed Senate amendments to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, H.R. 493. On May 21, the President signed this landmark bill into law. The legislation will prohibit health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against people on the basis of genetic test results. By prohibiting the improper use of genetic information, this bill encourages Americans to undergo testing necessary for early treatment and prevention of genetic-based diseases.
Read Speaker Pelosi's statement on the President signing the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act into law>>
Mental Health Equality
On March 5, 2008, the House passed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, H.R. 1424, which will end discrimination against patients seeking treatment for mental illnesses. The bill was signed into law on October 3, 2008. The bill eliminates discriminatory provisions that erect obstacles to accessing care for Americans with mental health and addiction disorders. The 1996 Mental Health Parity Act required equality only for annual and lifetime limits. This bill requires equality across the terms of the health plan.
Watch Speaker Pelosi speak in support of the bill: