The health reform vote is coming in the House. Representative Scott Murphy (NY-20) needs to listen to us, not the insurance companies.
In Murphy's district, the House's improvements to the Senate health reform bill will [pdf]:
Improve coverage for 459,000 residents with health insurance.
Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 151,000 families and 15,500 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
Improve Medicare for 117,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
Extend coverage to 29,000 uninsured residents.
Guarantee that 8,600 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
Protect 1,200 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
Allow 51,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.
Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 25 community health centers.
Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $26 million annually.
A vote for health reform is a vote to stand with these people. A vote against health reform is a vote for the status quo, where insurance companies make record profits by raising rates by double digits (29% in New York in the last few months) and dropping millions of customers from their rolls.
The House may vote on health reform as early as this weekend. When the vote comes, Representative Murphy has a chance to show us that he's on our side.
