Finish Health Reform: We’ve Come Too Far to Stop Now!
To move forward we need the House to pass the Senate bill–and then immediately use reconciliation to fix its problems, especially:
- Affordability.
The House bill has the strongest approach to affordability of all of the Congressional bills. HCFANY supports the House bill’s affordability schedule for people below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)–$27,465 for a family of three. HCFANY supports the Senate bill affordability schedule for families above 300% FPL. - Support Current Public Health Insurance Programs.
HCFANY supports the House language expanding Medicaid to 150% FPL. HCFANY also urges Congress to adopt the Senate language for the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which maintains SCHIP until 2019 and increases federal matching funds from 2014-2019. - Immigrants.
HCFANY supports the House bill language that allows anyone–including undocumented immigrants–to purchase health insurance on the Exchange at full price with their own money. HCFANY also urges that Congress adopt Senate amendment 2991, which enables all states to cover legal immigrants without waiting five years. - Women’s Health.
HCFANY urges Congress to go back to the Capps Amendment, which preserves the ban on using federal funds for abortion. - Disparities.
HCFANY supports the House bill’s language that increases funding for translation services for adults in Medicaid, promotes cultural and linguistic competence training for health care professionals, and increases funding for community health centers ($12 billion over five years). - Consumer Assistance.
Consumer assistance programs help people understand and use their health care–they are vital to making sure health reform is successful. HCFANY urges Congress to adopt and improve the Senate bill language by increasing funding to $100 million (from $30 million) and guaranteeing that consumer-driven not-for-profits will be tapped to provide these essential consumer assistance services. - Insurance Reforms.
HCFANY supports the House bill, which bans life-time and pre-existing condition limits, defines an essential benefit package, and sets an age-ratio of 2:1, instead of the Senate bill’s 3:1 ratio.
HCFANY analysis of Current Bills to Reform Health Care in America.
HCFANY has analysed the House and Senate bills and how they would affect New York. This analysis is based on HCFANY’s 10 Standards for Affordable, Comprehensive Health Care Reform.
HCFANY analysis of the Senate “Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act”
View a side-by-side comparison of the bills here.
Is Health Reform Affordable forNew York?
Affordability is paramount to the success of any health reform measure. New York has one of the highest insurance rates in the nation. For New York families to afford health insurance, federal subsidies to work in New York, federal subsidies must be offered to individuals up to 400% of the federal poverty level, with an additional sliding scale that caps out-of-pocket expenses at no more than 10% of a family’s income at the highest level.
View a comparison of the H.R.3200 and the Senate Finance Committee’s proposal on health care reform and would mean for New York families.
Current proposals include:
H.R.3200– America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
The House bill that aims to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.
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Senate Finance Committee Proposal:
America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009
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Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee proposal: Affordable Health Choices Act
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Bill Comparison
- Kaiser Family Foundation Side-By-Side Bill Comparison
- Community Catalyst Comparison of the Subsidies in the Three Health Reform Proposals
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Understanding the Arguments
It is key that reform advocates convey their message and clearly counter the opposition during this August Recess. Here are some tools that will help:
- Families USA: August Recess Took Kit
A one-stop shop of tools and resources to help you galvanize your communities that health reform cannot wait! - Health Care For American Now! Fight Back Against the Right
Download memos and signs to take to town hall meetings and hold a constructive conversation. - Community Catalyst: Tools for the Field
How to answer questions and opposition in the field. - Insurance Reform Reality Check
Debunking myths with information from the White House. - What Health Care Overhaul Means for You
NPR breaks down how health reform will affect you. - Urban Institute’s Town Hall Debating Points
The debate basics to make your point at the heated town hall meetings. - Confused by all the Lingo?
A easy-to-understand glossary of health insurance and health reform terms
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Additional Plans and Players
May 12, 2009: Third Senate Finance Committee Roundtable: Financing Comprehensive Health Care Reform
This final roundtable is perhaps the most contentious one to date–how to finance health reform. The Committee heard testimony from several health policy experts–red the testimonies here.
May 5,2009: Second Senate Finance Committee Roundtable: Expanding Health Care Coverage
This second Senate roundtable heard testimony from consumer advocate groups and insurance companies. Read the testimonies here.
April 21, 2009: Senate Finance Committee Holds First Roundtable Hearing on Health Care Reform.
Today’s roundtable focused on delivery system reform, the following roundtables will focus on expanding coverage to all Americans (May 5, 2009) and financing health care reform (May 14, 2009).
Read the testimonies from today’s roundtable here.
Obama Commits to Health Care Reform
Want to know more about the Obama-Biden health reform agenda? Visit the President’s health care agenda web page to read more about the Obama-Biden plan for affordable, accessible, health care for all. On it you will find information on how the new administration plans to build on the existing health care system, make insurance companies work for people and businesses, and reduce costs for families.
Visit the webpage at: http://whitehouse.gov/agenda/health_care/
To find out about national health reform campaigns, visit our page on National Health Reform efforts
Additional Resources, Publications & Articles
Single-Payer System
Single-Payer/Medicare for All: An Economic Stimulus Plan for the Nation. Institute for Health & Socio Economic Policy (the research arm of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association). This report estimates that a single-payer system could create 2.6 million new jobs and increase public revenues by $317 billion and employees’ wages by $100 billion.
