Lynn C. Woolsey: “there currently are 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance and are looking for real solutions for their…”

“there currently are 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance and are looking for real solutions for their lack of health care coverage. Unfortunately, H.R. 525, the so- called Small Business Health Fairness Act, is not their answer. In fact, this bill allows insurance companies to preempt State law, making possible a race to the bottom by associated health plans as companies, because of this bill, can offer the cheapest insurance with the least coverage. The idea that we would allow insurance companies to trump State law is really outrageous. Laws to protect those with diabetes, those with cancer, and a host of other ailments are at risk under this plan. That is why I offered an amendment in the Committee on Rules, along with the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), that would protect mammograms and cervical cancer screenings from being preempted by association health plans. Unfortunately, the Republican majority does not see the value in protecting women from breast and/or cervical cancer, because they would not allow our amendment to come to the floor to be debated before we voted on this bill. {time} 1600 Mr. Speaker, in my district, the Sixth Congressional District of California, the women of Marin County are plagued by an unusually high rate of breast cancer, and particularly young woman have the high incidence of breast cancers. But, fortunately, in California we require insurance companies to cover mammograms.…”