Senate Introduces Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

For close to a century, Presidents and congressional leaders have debated ways to fix our health care system. Late yesterday the U.S. Senate introduced H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“This is an historic moment where we have the opportunity to change the lives of the people in Virginia. We are changing a system that has left small businesses and hard working families at the mercy of corporate insurance interests,” said Nick Williams, Director of Virginia Change That Works.

Eleven days ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Now, the Senate has introduced their legislation, which is the next step in the process toward health insurance reform. Senator Reid listened to the American people and made sure this bill keeps insurance companies from controlling our health care system by guaranteeing choice and accountability through a public health care option.

This week 44,000 Americans lost their health insurance, 17,000 Americans were forced into bankruptcy because of medical debt and 400 people lost their lives because they lacked health insurance.

“The statistics speak to the crisis in our health care system, and it is nothing short of a national tragedy. We have worked and will continue to work tirelessly to make sure that every Virginian has the opportunity to be involved with health care reform,” said Williams.

The challenges facing our health care system - higher premiums, skyrocketing costs, and deeper instability for those with coverage - cannot be ignored. Today, thanks to the Senate's hard work, we're closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems.

House Passes Comprehensive Health Insurance Reform Bill

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives set the standard for what real health insurance reform looks like when it passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act earlier this evening. The bill’s affordability provisions will finally make health insurance coverage attainable for millions of individuals and small businesses.

“We are very excited about what this bill will mean for Virginians,” said Nick Williams, Director of Virginia Change That Works. “In Rep. Tom Periello’s district alone, the Affordable Health Care for America Act will allow 16,300 small businesses to obtain affordable health care coverage and provide coverage for 53,000 uninsured residents.”

The House bill offers affordable, stable health insurance for every American for the first time in history. It ensures affordable coverage for 96 percent of Americans, is entirely paid for, and includes a strong public option that drives down costs and holds insurance companies accountable by letting families shop for the health insurance plan that best meets their needs.

Assistance for small businesses is also a vitally important component of the bill. It eliminates skyrocketing premium costs by introducing competition and ending the insurance companies’ stranglehold on local markets. The bill also provides small employers with access to large-group rates in the new Health Insurance Exchange which will enable them to offer a larger choice of plans to employees. In addition, the legislation helps an estimated 3.6 million small businesses afford coverage for their workers.

Gary Loeffler, a licensed building contractor and owner of Loeffler Construction, believes the bill will help his company grow, even through tough economic times by lowering costs associated with health care.

“With the health care costs of every 10 employees I have, I could pay for another person to be employed,” said Loeffler. “There are many instances where know I could have bid on larger jobs if I could have hired just one more employee. This bill is just what we needed.”