Why We Need Health Reform

It’s likely that the House of Representatives will finally vote on health insurance reform this week.

With all the misconceptions floating around and many questions still left unanswered, it’s more important now than ever before to understand exactly what reform is, what it will do, and to call your members of Congress to encourage them to vote for this historic bill.

Why do we need reform?

There are many reasons we need health insurance reform, but the most important is to ensure that all Americans can receive the preventive and life-saving care they need, while at the same time stopping insurance companies from making outrageous profits on the sick.

Aside from making insurance affordable, reform also will reduce the country’s deficit and create jobs – another top issue facing our leaders. We’ll save costs by reducing the waste and abuse that resides in our current system; we’ll create millions of jobs by raising wages and strengthening the economy; and we’ll cut the deficit by almost $1 trillion during the next two decades.

What will President Obama’s plan mean for me?

Despite some of the misinformation, if you like your current employer-provided insurance, Obama’s plan will allow you to keep it. If you buy your own insurance, you will benefit from new protections against insurance company abuses.

If you don’t have insurance at all, the plan will allow you to choose among providers from the same marketplace where members of Congress buy their insurance. It also will provide tax credits to make insurance more affordable and you’ll benefit from the same protections against insurance company abuses.

If you own a small business and want to provide your employees with insurance, you can receive tax credits, making it easier for you to provide that coverage. And for your family and friends that have Medicare, Obama’s plan will not cut their benefits, and will actually extend the Medicare Trust Fund for more than nine years.

Most importantly, the plan will make sure that you’re never denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, and that you will never be privy to arbitrary insurance premium increases.

The future.

Passing health insurance reform is not only important to us now, but it’s important to our futures and to future generations who will inherit our legacy and our doings.

If we don’t pass reform, as many as 17 million additional people will become uninsured by 2019, and up to 275,000 people could die prematurely during the next 10 years.

On top of that, the average family’s healthcare costs will increase from $13,000 to $24,000 – nearly doubling – by 2020. All of this will happen while big, profitable insurance companies are allowed to continue increasing insurance rates and making more money.

If you’re one of the majority of Americans who think Obama’s plan sounds like a better alternative, now is the time to make your voice heard. Do what you can to spread the word about the importance of passing health insurance reform. Call and e-mail your members of Congress, talk to your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.

We are knocking on the door of a better future for ourselves and future generations. Let’s do what we can today to make sure every American can have a brighter tomorrow.

You can find and spread the truth about reform here

And you can find you representative and give them a call here