On November 7, 2009, I proudly voted to pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962).  In the First District of New Hampshire, this legislation will improve employer-based coverage for 466,000 residents, provide affordability credits to help pay for coverage for up to 128,000 households struggling with health insurance costs, and reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and health care providers in the State by $64 million.  These people are our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, and our friends.  We deserve a health care system in the United States that works for all Americans.   
 
I voted for this bill because it will help the middle class, seniors, youth, and small businesses.  The bill creates competition and adds choices to the health care system, controls costs, closes the Medicare Part D donut hole, ends discrimination based on preexisting conditions, eliminates waste, and limits out-of-pocket costs and lifetime coverage caps.  This is all done without adding to the federal deficit.  In fact, according to a report released by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will actually reduce the deficit by more than $100 billion by 2019.   Much of the bill is paid for by implementing a surtax on married couples and small businesses with adjusted gross income of $1,000,000 ($500,000 in the case of single individuals), which will only affect .3% of households and 1.2% of small businesses. 

Though there has been much misinformation about the public option, nothing in this bill will force people to change the health insurance they currently have.  If you like your current health insurance, you can keep it.  If you are ineligible for Medicaid and uninsured, or are not offered coverage from your employer, you will now be able to buy health care from the newly created Health Insurance Exchange.  The Exchange is a marketplace to shop among private plans and the public option.  The public option is just another choice to obtain coverage; enrollment in the public option is completely voluntary.  It would compete on a level playing field with private insurers within the Health Insurance Exchange and must be financially self-sustaining.  Currently, in New Hampshire, two health insurance companies control 75% of the market— new competition is vital to lowering the costs for everyone. 

Small businesses will also have access to the Health Insurance Exchange so that their employees can finally have affordable health care.  In the First District, 19,600 small businesses will be able to obtain affordable health care coverage for their employees and tax credits will help reduce health insurance costs for up to 17,700 of these small businesses. 

In addition, seniors will see improved Medicare benefits.  That is why the AARP has endorsed this legislation.  This legislation will strengthen Medicare, close the Medicare Part D donut hole, and reduce subsidies to private Medicare plans.
 
Right now, the average American family pays an extra $1,100 per year in premiums to help cover the costs of the uninsured.  All too often, those people must receive care in the emergency room.  Under this bill, 96% of Americans will have access to affordable health insurance, lowering costs for all of us. 

I have spent the last several months listening and engaging in thoughtful debates about health care reform.  We have added measures on tort reform and the ability to purchase insurance across state lines.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation being spread about this legislation.  We cannot allow scare tactics to deny the American people access to quality, affordable health care.  The cost of inaction would be devastating.  Health care costs will continue to skyrocket, and estimates show that costs would actually double over the next ten years. This burden would fall especially hard on the middle class.  This bill will help prevent that. 

Expanding access to health care is one of the great moral issues of our time.  This crisis cannot be left for another Congress or generation.  If you still have doubts, I encourage you to read the bill or summary sheets, which may be found on the front page of my website.