Murphy Applauds Passage Of Health Insurance Reform Legislation For Connecticut

Press Release

After holding town hall meetings across the Fifth District and hearing from constituents throughout his three years in Congress about the need for health insurance reform, today Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) voted for the final health care reform bill because it gives Connecticut residents access to affordable health care, cuts costs for businesses, strengthens Medicare for seniors, and cuts the deficit.

"While nearly every person I meet has a different idea about what the exact fix to our health insurance system should be, they know that health care costs and health insurance practices are out of control. The changes we need to make to our system will only come by transferring power away from the health insurance industry and to consumers, and this bill does exactly that," said Murphy.

For residents of the Fifth District who receive health insurance coverage through their employers, they can keep the coverage they have now. However, this bill will make great improvements to that coverage as it ends coverage denials for pre-existing conditions, requires essential health benefits to be offered, and ends the practice of insurance companies kicking individuals off their plan because they get too sick.

For those who do not receive coverage from their employer, the new health insurance exchange will provide families and individuals the opportunity to purchase affordable insurance. To make this option available to families making up to $88,000, the bill provides tax credits to help pay for it.

"Tax cuts to help people pay for health insurance make sense because the biggest barrier to health insurance coverage for far too many people is cost. So for the first time, we take the power away from the insurance companies and put it back into the hands of the people who are just trying to get coverage to take care of their families," said Murphy.

For seniors, the bill:

*· Improves Medicare for the 109,000 beneficiaries in the Fifth District by providing free preventive care, improving primary care, and enhancing nursing home care;

*· Closes the Medicare Part D donut hole for the 9,300 Fifth District residents experiencing this gap in coverage; and

*· Strengthens the Medicare Trust Fund by extending its solvency by 10 years.

For small businesses, the bill helps small businesses obtain insurance by:

*· Allowing the 18,700 small businesses with 100 employees or less in the Fifth District to join the health insurance exchange so that they can benefit from group rates and a greater choice of insurers; and

*· Giving tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing health insurance to the 16,900 Fifth District small businesses that employ 25 people or less and average wages less than $50,000.

"Once this bill passes, all the lies and propaganda will be proved false. No death panels will sprout up, and the government won't take over the health care system. Instead, Medicare benefits will increase, small businesses will get tax cuts to provide health care, and people with pre-existing condition will get health coverage," said Murphy.

Finally, the health insurance reform bill includes a provision that Murphy has pushed for since hearing the idea from his constituents - requiring Members of Congress and their staffs who wish to utilize government health insurance benefits to only receive health insurance benefits offered through the exchange.

To learn more about what this bill will do for the Fifth District, click here.

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