Healthcare
The Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law in March, is the most comprehensive package of health care reform in our nation’s history. Every president since Theodore Roosevelt has sought to improve health care coverage for Americans but, not until now, has legislation been passed and signed into law that will do just that.
The new law will make it possible for more than 30 million Americans, including 69,000 people who live in the Third District, to obtain health insurance for the first time. Starting now, insurance companies cannot refuse to provide coverage for children with pre-existing conditions, a provision that will go into effect for adults in 2014.
Basic benefits are guaranteed for all Medicare recipients, and the new law will shrink and eventually eliminate the so-called “donut hole” in drug coverage. Those changes will affect 133,000 seniors in the Third District.
Most people who already have health insurance will see improvements in their plans including extending coverage to their adult children until age 26.
The law also offers tax credits to help small businesses pay the cost of providing insurance for their employees.
And, most importantly: decisions about medical care are left to you and your doctor with no outside interference from the insurance companies or any bureaucratic committee.
While the new law is not the perfect solution to the health care dilemma that has faced our country for generations, we must resist attempts by those who say it should be repealed. Instead, we should demand that our elected representatives in Washington work together to ensure its effectiveness and to make changes where experience shows changes are necessary to make it work better.
Only through hard work, frank discussions and a willingness to compromise can we successfully resolve tough issues like health care reform for the benefit of all Americans. This is the kind of work ethic I would bring to Washington as your representative from the Third District. But I need your help. Please join me in my campaign and together we can create a brighter future for all of us.
