House Stands up to Insurers, Takes Big Step Forward

Media Contacts
Melissa Cubria

TexPIRG

Statement from TexPIRG Advocate Melissa Cubria:

“The passage of health reform tonight is a huge step forward for the country. It happened because 219 Members of the House of Representatives stood up to the powerful Washington health insurance industry lobby.

“Now that the political wrangling in Washington is over, Americans will soon experience for themselves the bill’s immediate benefits. No child will ever be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition. Small businesses will receive tax credits for covering their employees this year. Parents will have the right to keep their children on their plans till age 26.

 

“In the years to come, as this new law is fully implemented, the legislation will begin to lower costs by delivering better, smarter care and increasing competition in the insurance markets. The result will be a deficit is $1.4 trillion smaller over the next two decades. And businesses’ health costs per employee will be $3,000 less than under current law, according to the Business Roundtable. Consumers purchasing their own insurance will find 14-20% lower premiums for the same coverage than without this legislation, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. Finally, at long last, insurers will be prohibited from using pre-existing conditions, errors on forms, and lifetime or yearly caps to drop your coverage or price it out of reach.”