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What does the bill IMMEDIATELY do for working families?
Stops insurance companies from denying children health care due to pre-existing conditions (and will apply this prohibition to coverage for everyone in 2014).
Immediately outlaws lifetime caps on benefits and the practice of dropping coverage for people who get sick.
Allows young people to stay on their parents’ plans up to age 26.
Requires rebates from insurers if they spend more than 15% of premium dollars on marketing, profits, executive salaries or administrative expenses.
Provides free preventive care under Medicare and under new private plans immediately and to all plans by 2018.
Makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors by providing a $250 rebate for seniors who hit the Medicare Part D donut hole this year. Beginning next year, provide a 50% discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole and begin phasing out the donut hole to close it completely by 2020.
Reduces cost of coverage for retirees who are at least 55 and not eligible for Medicare through a new program that helps offset costs of expensive health claims for retirees.
Makes a new investment in training programs for primary care doctors, nurses and public health professionals.
What will the bill accomplish over the next decade and beyond?:
- Stops the relentless rise in health care costs.
- Expands coverage for 32 million Americans, with about half of them getting coverage through new “insurance exchanges” that provide coverage options under plans that must meet rules on benefits and premiums.
- Prohibits insurers from charging higher rates for women and limits the ability to set premiums based on age.
- Helps small businesses and uninsured individuals get affordable coverage with subsidies for low and moderate-income workers.
- Projected to reduce the federal budget deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next two decades and to increase Medicare solvency by almost a decade.
- Pressure from working families resulted in the elimination of 85 percent of a tax on health care benefits that would have slammed working families, non-union as well as union, whose premiums are high because of factors they don’t control.
- Instead, the bill substitutes a progressive tax on the wealthiest Americans, requiring that Medicare contributions be paid on unearned income. Working families’ activism also helped make sure employers pay a fairer share of health costs for their employees.
How did working families help achieve the health care victory?
- Over the past year working families worked for reform at the grassroots:
- Working families made over 4 million phone calls to lawmakers.
- Union leaders came to Washington and visited members repeatedly, making more than 10,000 calls and visits.
- In addition, Working America, the AFL-CIO community affiliate talked to more than 210,000 people at their front doors, generating 30,000 signatures for health care petitions, 31,000 phone calls to Congress, 40,000 e-mails and 75,000 letters urging lawmakers to pass reform.
- The contacts by activists and leaders not only helped win approval of health care reform, they improved the bill.
How will working families hold Members of Congress accountable for their lack of support?
- The health care vote will be one of the seminal votes in the 2010 elections, and members of Congress who voted against this step on the path to health care reform should not expect the support of working families.
- Working people look for elected officials who have the courage to stand up to lies, distortions and political scare tactics.
How will working families support Members of Congress who supported reform?
- We'll be organizing events in districts to recognize the courageous votes of House members in the face of powerful opposition.
- Organizing call-in days so members hear how much their constituents appreciate their vote and putting together a massive grassroots education campaign about the good things this bill does for all working families.
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