In Support Of Health Insurance Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of health insurance reform for many reasons but especially for how it helps the 50 million Americans living in rural areas.

There are three main problems people in rural America face when it comes to the current health care system: lack of choice of affordable health insurance, lack of access to health care providers, and certainly a lack of access to quality health care and preventative care.

Our health insurance reform bill, H.R. 3962, addresses all of these issues and more for rural Americans.

Fifteen percent of people living in rural areas live in poverty, and one in five uninsured Americans lives in rural areas. This bill will extend coverage, and the public option will give choice to Americans living in rural areas. This bill will make coverage affordable. It will invest in our health care infrastructure by training thousands of new doctors, nurses, and other health care providers and will put them on the ground where they're needed, especially in our rural areas.

Finally, this bill gives all Americans free access to preventative care and encourages and rewards high-quality care. It is what we need in rural America and across the country.

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