House Advance Historic Healthcare Reform Legislation

Statement

Congressman Christopher P. Carney released the following statement after H.R.3962 passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 220-215.

"I am proud that today we stood firm and passed healthcare reform legislation that explicitly prohibits public funding for abortion. While this bill is far from perfect and there is much more work to be done, it accomplished some important steps that I strongly support. We ensured that maternity care is no longer optional, but required; pregnant women will be guaranteed coverage at a time when they need it most, for themselves and their unborn children.

The House bill takes the critical step toward providing quality, affordable healthcare while reducing the cost burden on our hardworking families and small businesses. Every day, I hear from people in Northeast and Central Pennsylvania who have lost their insurance, cannot pay their premiums or are struggling to provide healthcare for their employees. Today, we voted to help alleviate their burden and reduce their costs.

As a cancer survivor, I am especially supportive of the provisions that prohibit insurance companies from barring individuals with pre-existing conditions. This legislation makes health insurance available to 96 percent of Americans, while, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, also reducing the deficit.

I stood with our seniors and supported a measure that closes the Medicare Part D prescription drug "doughnut hole." The House bill will begin reducing the doughnut hole liability by $500 next year, and reductions will continue until the hole is completely closed. Our seniors deserve a Medicare system that provides them with the very best and this legislation eliminates the out of pocket costs for preventative care. The bill also prohibits insurers from charging older adults more than twice as much as those who are younger.

Access to affordable healthcare is a critical issue for rural areas like ours and this bill provides enormous benefit to those of us in rural regions. Incentives and training are provided to recruit and retain healthcare providers in underserved areas. We ensured that the Medicare reimbursement formula pays doctors for the care they provide, regardless of where they practice, ending an inequity that had a tremendously detrimental impact on our region. I am a strong supporter of the Commonwealth Medical College, and am pleased that this bill authorizes funds targeted toward medical schools in underserved areas.

Time and again, I have heard from small businesses throughout our district that skyrocketing healthcare costs were their biggest concern. This bill offers immediate help for those small businesses with workers who have been uninsured for several months, or denied a policy based on "pre-existing" conditions. A high risk pool will immediately offer insurance and assistance to help pay premiums to cover those workers. In addition, the legislation prevents insurance companies from charging more because of employee health status, protecting our small businesses from unreasonable rate increases. Additionally, the bill creates a tax credit to cover up to half the cost of providing healthcare coverage for employees to our small businesses that are struggling to grow.

Today's legislation is a strong start in the healthcare reform process and we look forward to working closely with our Senate colleagues to move the issue forward in the coming weeks."

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