Political Quotes

“Today over 62,000 Vermonters are included in the 39.7 million Americans without health insurance. Unfortunately, this number is increasing every year. Health insurance has simply become less available and affordable, especially for small businesses and individuals. I am proud to cosponsor S. 1028, the Health Insurance Reform Act, that will address some of the issues blocking access to coverage that the uninsured face today. This bill is a good bill and a step in the right direction. The bill increases the availability of insurance by ensuring that anyone who wants it, and can afford it, will be able to buy it. I am hopeful that provisions to encourage small employers to form voluntary purchasing pools will give some relief from rising health insurance premiums by giving them more leverage to negotiate lower premiums and better conditions of coverage. To be clear, however, this bill does not address the larger issue of the skyrocketing cost of health care which will continue to be a looming problem that Americans face. What the bill does do is end insurance practices that restrict the availability of insurance to people with preexisting medical conditions, or avoid enrolling or renewing coverage for older or sicker individuals and groups.”