John Kerry: “I want to thank Senators Kassebaum and Kennedy for their leadership in putting together this bill which the General…”

“I want to thank Senators Kassebaum and Kennedy for their leadership in putting together this bill which the General Accounting Office [GAO] estimates will help over 21 million people. I also want to talk today about a woman from Florence, MA, who wrote me about her daughter. She supports this bill, she said, because her daughter has diabetes and the family had a terrible time finding health insurance that would cover her. In her letter she told me, ``I think it's immoral for health insurance companies to cut off coverage even while the people they cover are paying their premiums. No health insurance company should have the power to do this to their clients.'' Millions of Americans have medical histories or preexisting conditions that make it difficult to get comprehensive insurance coverage. As many as 81 million Americans have preexisting medical conditions that could affect their insurability. Many people are locked in their jobs because they fear they will be unable to obtain comprehensive insurance in new jobs. And many people who work in small businesses often have trouble getting insurance especially if one employee has medical problems. I am hopeful that this important bill will pass Congress and will be enacted into law this year. It is time that we help the American people get the health insurance they rightfully deserve. This bill takes very important steps forward. But we must do more, so that ultimately we have coverage for all Americans.”