Op-Ed: Health Care Bill Is Historic First Step To Meaningful Reform

Op-Ed

The Affordable Health Care for America Act passed by the House Saturday night made history.

For 60 years, Democrats have been fighting for fundamental reform of health care. No previous effort has even come close to making it this far.

Progressives deserve much of the credit for this progress. We never wavered in our support for wide-ranging reform and the best possible public option.

In fact, it is acknowledged throughout the Congress that there would be no public option at all without our efforts.

And when the bill was unveiled, we fought successfully to improve it by including a provision that will curtail spiraling rates by requiring increases in insurance premiums to be justified.

That said, the bill is not all that many progressives wanted.

Like most Californians, I believe the best way to provide high-quality health care to all is through a single-payer system, and I will continue to support single-payer initiatives.

In this Congress, progressives rallied behind the idea of a sweeping reform bill that included a public option linked to Medicare.

The bill passed Saturday retains many of those reforms, including the public option, though rates in the option will be negotiated rather than linked to Medicare.

In addition, an important amendment that would have removed legal barriers preventing states from choosing a single-payer system was stripped from the bill, and a totally unacceptable amendment that severely restricts coverage for abortions was added. We must fight to reverse both of these developments when the House and Senate reconcile their bills in conference committee.

Despite these shortcomings, this bill deserved our support because it will not only make history--it will make a difference.

The act calls for fundamental changes in the health care system. It guarantees access to high-quality health insurance regardless of income, employment or pre-existing conditions. It provides subsidies to those who need help buying insurance. For those who don't have health insurance through an employer, it creates a menu of health insurance options--private plans and a public health insurance option--to choose from in a health exchange. It also eliminates lifetime limits on how much insurance companies will pay and co-pays and deductibles for preventive care. It provides cheaper drugs for seniors by reforming Medicare Part D and closing its donut hole.

These reforms would have far-reaching effects in the 6th Congressional District. They would:

-- Improve employer-based coverage for 419,000 residents.
-- Provide credits to help pay for coverage for up to 121,000 households.
-- Improve Medicare for 101,000 beneficiaries, including closing the prescription drug
donut hole for 12,800 seniors.
-- Allow 21,700 small businesses to obtain affordable health care coverage and provide
tax credits to help reduce health insurance costs for up to 20,400 small businesses.
-- Provide coverage for 47,000 uninsured residents.
-- Protect up to 800 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
-- Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and health care providers
by $81 million.

President Obama urged Democrats on Saturday to pass the health care bill, saying it was "our time to deliver."

We have delivered--a meaningful first step toward genuine health care reform.

Now, it's the Senate's turn.

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