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Rep. Johnson votes in favor of 'historic' House health care plan

November 7, 2009

Congressman commends bill for lowering costs, reducing deficit:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A longtime supporter of making health care more accessible and affordable for the American people, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) voted in favor of health care reform today.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) passed 220 to 215.

“Today, we are one step closer to enacting historic health care reform,” said Johnson, pleased that the legislation includes a public option. “For the majority of my constituents who receive health coverage through their employer, this bill will provide stability by doing away with rate increases or coverage denials for pre-existing conditions. For the more than 190,000 residents in my district who have no health insurance, it will allow access to affordable care.”

The House now awaits Senate action before voting on a final reconciled bill that will then go to the president’s desk for his signature.

On the eve of the vote, Johnson said he was encouraged by constituents’ calls and letters supporting the bill. He also cited the support of AARP, leading economists, the American Medical Association, the NAACP and countless women’s health advocacy groups, among hundreds of other well respected medical, social and business organizations.

“This bill is not only morally right, but an imperative for working-class families” said Johnson. “When this bill becomes law, 166,000 households in my district could qualify for affordability credits if they need to purchase their own coverage, 65,000 seniors will benefit from a strengthened Medicare, 15,000 small businesses will be able to join the health insurance exchange and thousands of families could avoid bankruptcy due to catastrophic health care costs.”

Johnson said H.R. 3962 will not only help cover uninsured Americans and provide stability for people who have insurance, but be good for the economy by buoying small businesses and reducing the deficit by $30 billion over 10 years.

“Small businesses pay up to 18 percent more per worker than large firms for the same health insurance policies, and since 2000 have seen a 129 percent increase in insurance costs,” said Johnson. “More than half of our nation’s uninsured are small business owners and employees and their families. With this legislation, we are ensuring that small businesses can do well by their employees and their families.”

Johnson successfully amended the Act to include a provision that calls for a full report to Congress about the threat from a cluster of diseases termed “neglected infections of poverty.”

Parasitic infections and other diseases usually associated with the developing world are cropping up with alarming frequency among U.S. poor, especially in states along the U.S.-Mexico border, the rural South and in Appalachia, according to researchers. Johnson’s addition to the bill – Sec. 2587 – will require a report to Congress on the current state of parasitic diseases that have been overlooked among the poorest Americans.

Rep. Johnson’s testimony before Rules Committee Nov. 6 concerning two amendments to the Affordable Health Care for America Act

“The goal of health reform is to expand access to quality affordable health care. The underlying bill makes commendable strides to expand access, but I believe that we must go further to ensure that Americans can afford the care they need. Many Americans – our friends and neighbors – suffer from debilitating and chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis or severe arthritis. The medications available to them are so expensive that insurers create so called “specialty tiers” within their formularies for these medications. People living with chronic conditions incur heavy financial burdens for treatment and prescription drugs – and they are at the breaking point. High out of pocket costs limit access to care and ultimately reduce their chances of living healthy lives. In a recent study of medical bankruptcies, out-of-pocket medical costs averaged $17,749 for the privately-insured, and $26,971 for the uninsured. Patients with neurologic disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, faced the highest costs at an average of $34,167. I believe it is time to put a limit on these outrageous costs. Because of my passion regarding health care and my early championing of the public option in this legislation on Nov. 6 in Rules committee, I proudly offered two amendments.

My first amendment would cap out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $200 per monthly prescription and $500 per month, total. This would apply to all insurance plans, including Medicare Part D. My amendment would also amend the current Medicare Part D exemption process so low-income beneficiaries can request an exemption for specialty tier drugs that would lower their costs. The amendment would also request two MedPAC studies of discrimination and cost-sharing. This amendment is supported by the Arthritis Foundation and the Lupus Foundation of America.

My second amendment would build on the underlying legislation by reducing the cap on out of pocket medical expenses from $5,000 annually to $1,250 quarterly. People whose care results in high out of pocket costs could easily reach the $5,000 limit in a one or two month span. This is potentially unaffordable for people with chronic disease and dividing the cap quarterly would achieve the same policy outcome while increasing its affordability. This amendment is supported by the Arthritis Foundation and the Lupus Foundation of America.”