Frank Pallone: “Democrats are uniting behind a proposal that would make modest but important improvements in America's health insurance.…”

“Democrats are uniting behind a proposal that would make modest but important improvements in America's health insurance. This is a bill that was sponsored by the gentlewoman from New Jersey [Mrs. Roukema] that would basically guarantee that insurance companies could not deny health insurance coverage for preexisting conditions and also would improve what we call portability, the ability to take your insurance with you or to guarantee that your insurance is renewed even if you lose group coverage. Today we have over 150 House Democrats who are cosponsoring the Roukema measure, including myself. We are challenging the House Republican leadership to let this bill come to the floor without loading it up with all kinds of other proposals that would make it less possible for the bill to pass. This is something that President Clinton endorsed in his State of the Union Address. The time has come now for bipartisan support for this health security and health insurance reform for all Americans. I call upon the House leadership to bring this bill to the floor so that we can see better guarantees that preexisting conditions would not prevent someone from getting health insurance and that someone who loses their health insurance on the job can still get it in the individual market.”