Andrea Joy Campbell: “I take this opportunity to support the health insurance reform bill, offered by Senators Kassebaum and Kennedy. I am…”

“I take this opportunity to support the health insurance reform bill, offered by Senators Kassebaum and Kennedy. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this legislation. Reforming our Nation's health care system has been a concern for many Americans. I believe the bill before us today, although limited to the health insurance industry, is a significant step toward addressing some of the issues we face with health insurance--cost, portability, and preexisting conditions. Although this legislation will not fix all of our health care problems, I think we all need to recognize that it does make some progress toward addressing these issues. Currently, reports indicate there are an estimated 40 million uninsured Americans. This, in and of itself, highlights one of the biggest problems within the health care industry--the availability of affordable, flexible insurance policies. All too often, people are forced into a situation where they feel they must remain in a job they would rather leave just because they have long-term health care needs and have no other source for insurance other than through their employer. This 'job lock,' coupled with skyrocketing health care costs, makes the prospect of paying for your own medical costs without insurance, a frightening, and financially crippling situation. People simply can't afford to take this risk.”