Health Insurance Reform - Ask Your Rep. to Vote Yes
Take Action
Call Your Rep. Today: http://capwiz.com/fconl/callalert/index.tt?alertid=14818111
The House and Senate have found a way forward through the procedural morass and could vote on health insurance reform in the next few days. The president could have a bill on his desk to sign by Monday.
Is the bill perfect? No.
Is it complicated? Yes.
Is it an historic bill that will significantly improve the lives of millions? Yes.
Should Congress pass health insurance reform? Yes.
The legislation will extend insurance coverage to 30 million people who do not now have access to comprehensive health care and does not preclude further changes in the health care system.
Our FCNL lobbyists have also heard that the "public option" -- a health insurance plan managed by government -- may be back on the table. FCNL strongly supports a public option as a way to keep costs down and quality up in the marketplace.
Take Action
The vote in the House is expected to be very close. Please call your representative to ask her or him to vote for the health insurance reform bill: http://capwiz.com/fconl/callalert/index.tt?alertid=14818111. Enter your zip code on our website to find the phone number for your representative and talking points for your call: http://capwiz.com/fconl/callalert/index.tt?alertid=14818111.
More Information
The bill will include at least these positive features:
- No one can be excluded or charged a higher premium due to a pre-existing condition, genetic code, or high usage of health services.
- No one can be ejected from a plan for using its services.
- Women cannot be charged higher premiums than men.
- Medicaid expands substantially to cover many more low income individuals and families.
- Low to moderate income families can qualify for tax credits to help with premium costs.
What are the concerns raised by members of Congress about the bill? Some members may reject the bill because it makes a smaller change in our health care system than they originally sought. Some are wary of costs to consumers and to the government, even though the Congressional Budget Office has advised Congress that this legislation will save money - for families and for the country. Finally, a number of members reject this outcome for partisan political reasons that have very little to do with the content of the bill.
The details of the health insurance reform process are changing quickly. Check back on our website for the latest news: http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=3638&issue_id=18.
Contacting Legislators
Contact your members of Congress through FCNL's web site: http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/.
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
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