DeLauro Cites Benefits of Health Care Reform Bill to Connecticut

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) announced the specific benefits that health care reform will bring to the citizens of Connecticut's 3rd District today.

The health reform legislation pending in Congress will ensure that quality, affordable health care is available to every American, and will hold insurance companies accountable and end the unfair practices of denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition, raising premiums, and imposing lifetime coverage limits. This plan will put Americans and small businesses back in control of their health care choices, and help reduce the sky-rocketing cost of health costs. Ultimately, this bill will fix our broken health care system and expand coverage to more 30 million Americans who currently cannot afford it.

Here are just some of the benefits the citizens of Connecticut's 3rd District will see from this reform:

• 467,000 residents will see improvements in their current health care coverage.

• Up to 136,000 families will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable.

• 7,700 residents with pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain coverage.

• Up to 15,400 small businesses will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable for their employees.

• 58,000 young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health insurance policy until their 26th birthday.

• 19,500 currently uninsured citizens will have access to health care coverage.

• 1,000 families won't have to file for bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.

• 47 community health centers will receive millions of dollars in new funding to see thousands of new patients.

Congresswoman DeLauro said, "With this legislation, we have begun to wrest power away from insurance company bureaucrats and give it back to people and their doctors. The Republicans have shown where they stand by voting in the Budget Committee to allow the insurance companies to continue to discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions, to drop your coverage because you get sick, or to arbitrarily raise your premiums. They stand with the insurance companies, when they should be voting to hold these insurance companies accountable and ensure that every family has access to quality, affordable health insurance.

"Our health reforms will do a lot of good for a lot of people, all the while working to reduce the costs of health insurance for all American families. This bill will put health care decisions where it belongs—back in the hands of American people, not the government or the insurance companies. Thousands of my constituents and millions across the country will see the benefits of this bill, and I am proud to have fought for it and I look forward to it seeing it become law."