I rise to speak in favor of the TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act. Last month, President Obama signed the health care reform bill into law. It was a historic day. For the first time in American history we committed to ending the abuses of the insurance industry. We committed to covering every single American. It extends the solvency of Medicare for nearly a decade. It ends the punitive practices of insurance companies that deny coverage based on gender, age, or race. It expands universal coverage to 32 million Americans who have been without insurance. And we pay for it with an emphasis on wellness and quality. We say goodbye to quantity medicine by emphasizing quality medicine. It was a very big deal. But there is more to do. I voted for health care reform because I listened to the people of Maryland at diners and in the grocery store, at roundtables, tele-town halls, in hearings, and in letters and emails. Time and again I heard, ``Save my Medicare.'' I heard, ``Don't take my mammograms away.'' I heard, ``They turned me down for health insurance because I had a C- Section.'' I voted for health care reform because I listened to the stories of the people. I know that the best ideas come from the people.
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Mikulski discusses the importance of health care reform and its impact on Americans.
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