Paul Tonko: “We have been talking about health care reform for nearly a century, and certainly inaction is no longer acceptable. The…”

“We have been talking about health care reform for nearly a century, and certainly inaction is no longer acceptable. The American people voted for and demand reform. They deserve our support. Health insurance reform is about cost. These reforms slow the growth of health care spending and make health care insurance more affordable for everyone while reducing our deficit. Health insurance reform is about coverage. These reforms will cover nearly all Americans, including those with preexisting conditions, and will not drop you if you get sick. Health insurance reform is about competition. It repeals antitrust exemptions for insurance companies and brings them into a regulated marketplace to bring down prices for families and small businesses. Health insurance reform is about care. These reforms eliminate copays for yearly checkups and screenings and ensure that our seniors have access to prescription drugs that they can actually afford. Health insurance reform returns control to mothers, to fathers, to grandparents, and families, where it belongs, not with insurance companies, not with government.”