HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA NOW
NEW YORK CITY ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Press Statement on the Massachusetts Special Senate Election
by Mark Hannay, Director, Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign

January 20, 2010
City Hall, New York

Health Care for America Now’s efforts here in New York have always been about manifesting a campaign to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care that all New Yorkers can count on. We will continue to push aggressively to get the best health care reform bill possible to the President’s desk for his signature as quickly as possible.

Yesterday’s vote in Massachusetts was not a referendum on health care reform. It was a referendum on particular candidates in a climate in which voters, hard pressed and frustrated by the economy, are impatient for change.

When it comes to the need to make good quality health care affordable for New Yorkers, nothing is different today than it was yesterday.  Congress and the President must keep going and finish reform right.   We must fix health care now to keep improving our state and nation’s economy. We cannot continue to allow medical expenses to bankrupt New York’s families and businesses.

Insurance companies and other special interests have spent huge money trying to scare voters about health care reform.  But when asked about key elements like no more denials for pre-existing conditions, access to good, affordable coverage for all, or rules that force insurance companies to spend premiums on health care and not profits, Americans agree with Congress and the President’s plans.

Massachusetts has shown that health reform works, with 98% of people now covered and insurers not allowed to deny people coverage based on pre-existing conditions.  For voters in Massachusetts, the main deciding issue was about what they are worried about now: the economy.  It wasn't about health care.

America is on track to pass a major health reform bill in the next few weeks, and we here today will stay on track until the President signs that bill into law.  It's now up to the President and Congress, including leadership from our New York City Congressional delegation and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand  to figure out the best way to finish reform and finish it right.  It's time to put health care justice ahead of politics and pass reform that guarantees good coverage New Yorkers can afford.  And it’s up to all of us here in New York to keep working to make that happen. Otherwise, the opponents of reform will either finishing writing the bill, to the detriment of all New Yorkers, or will stop reform outright, and the status quo here in New York and across America is simply not an option because it is unsustainable

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Metro New York Health Care for All - 40 Worth Street, Suite 802, New York, NY 10013 - Phone: 212-925-1829