How Health Care Reform Will Affect You

NAACP SUPPORTED BILL REFORMING OUR
NATIONS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM PASSES THE U.S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 219-212
PUSH FOR PASSAGE IN SENATE CONTINUES.
FINAL VOTE IS EXPECTED LATER THIS WEEK.
THE ISSUE:
March 21, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4872, the Reconciliation Act of 2010 by a vote of 219 to 212. This legislation offers much-needed reforms to our Nation's health care system.
Specifically, the legislation that passed the US House of Representatives will:
•Extend health insurance coverage to about 32 million people who do not currently have health insurance coverage;
•If people like the insurance plan they have, they can keep it. If they like their doctor, nothing in the new proposal takes that choice away;
•Create state-based exchanges through which people without employer-provided coverage can purchase health insurance;
•Provide federal subsidies to people who must purchase their own health insurance and earn between 133% and 400% of the federal poverty level ($24,352 and $73,240 for a family of 3 in 2010);
•Outlaw discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions;
•Will not allow insurance companies to deny coverage to a person because he or she has gotten sick;
•Expand dependent care so that older children can be covered under their parents' policies;
•Increase in the number of children from low-and middle-income families who have health insurance; and
•Take an aggressive approach to address the health care disparities that continue to plague so many racial and ethnic minority communities.
•According to the Congressional Budget Office, the entire package will cost $940 billion over 10 years, but it will also shave $130 billion off the deficit, and it is expected to cut more than a trillion dollars from the deficit over 20 years.
This bill must now pass the US Senate before it can be presented to President Obama for his signature. Because of Senate rules, the bill only needs a simple majority (51 votes) to pass, but it can be drawn out by delaying tactics by the legislation's opponents. Final passage by the Senate is expected sometime late this week or very early the week of March 29th.
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW HEALTH CARE REFORM WILL AFFECT YOU! naacp.org
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