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Dear Friends and Supporters,
We are getting ever so much closer to fundamental health care reform bills moving forward in Congress. After months of committee deliberations and weeks of internal negotiations, leaders in each chamber are releasing bills for floor debates and votes. This past Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released the new House leadership bill (the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is expected to release a new Senate leadership bill sometime this week (watch for future details and emails.).
The new House bill:
Details on H.R. 3962 can be found at http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2009/10/affordable-health-care.shtml, including short and long-form summaries, and various topic-specific fact sheets. Floor debate in the House is expected to begin later this week and last 2-3 days, through Nov. 10th at the latest (they aim to finish before Veterans' Day on Nov. 11th.)
While H.R. 3962 has much to commend it, there are several ways it can still be improved via "managers' amendments" to be put forward today or tomorrow. The leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are recommending the following improvements to HR 3962 via managers' amendments:
- a "robust" version of a new public health insurance option (i.e., linked to Medicare) must be included to make fundamental health care reform possible. Currently, the new House bill calls for a weak "level playing field" public option (i.e., linked to negotiated private market rates and provider networks.)
- the new public option must be available in every state (i.e., NO state "opt-out" provision as envisioned in the Senate leadership's bill now under development.)
- no "triggers" or other contingencies for a public option
- strong mechanisms to control the price of insurance plan premiums
- provisions to allow states to go beyond federal reforms, specifically to enact state single-payer programs.
Action: We urge you and your organization to contact the following Congressional leaders TODAY in support of these improvements. The managers' amendments are expected to be finalized by Mon. eve (or Tues. a.m. at the latest.)
NOTE: If you contact any of these offices by email, please include "improvements to HR 3962 via managers' amendments" in the subject line.
Other activities here in NYC this week:
Thurs. Nov. 5, 11 a.m. -- "Champions for Children's Health Stroller Brigade"; outside the offices of Senator Charles Schumer, 757 Third Ave. (at 47th St.) in Manhattan. Under some health care reform proposals in Congress, New York's premier "Child Health Plus" program could end up being scaled back and children's coverage could be worse off. Join the Children's Defense Fund of NY and allies to call on our Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to stand up to protect New York's children as health care reform moves forward in Congress in the coming weeks. "Stroller brigades" kick off in Washington, DC on Nov. 4th, and then will be taking place in cities across the nation in subsequent days.
Thanks for all you do in the fight for health care for all in New York and across America,
Mark Hannay
Director
PS -- Don't forget to make a contribution to support our on-going work. Just click on the "donate" button on our website: www.metrohealthcare.org
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