Cord Byrd: “today the Senate debates S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. Now, health care…”

“today the Senate debates S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. Now, health care is a very complicated subject. The issue of health care involves life-or-death decisions for millions upon millions of Americans who lack even the basic access to affordable health care. The reality is that health care costs are skyrocketing, and the number of individuals with access to medical insurance is diminishing. That is unacceptable. The harsh reality is that 45 million Americans have no health care coverage, including 275,000 West Virginians. That is 275,000 West Virginians who cannot take even the most basic steps to ensure that their health and their lives are not in jeopardy. That is 275,000 West Virginians who may be unaware that an illness or a disease is preparing to spread unabated throughout their bodies. Today, technology enables doctors to discover and treat diseases faster than ever before, and, in many cases, cure these diseases before their effects are irreversible. It is unacceptable--unacceptable--that more and more Americans cannot take advantage of new technological tools to discover problems early. It is past time to do something for these citizens. The current health care crisis hits small businesses especially hard. Small businesses often pay the highest rates for health care benefits because they lack the power to negotiate with big insurance companies.…”