Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Congresswoman DeLauro is an advocate for access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans and supported the new health care law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This new law will ensure that Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and significantly reduce long-term health care costs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that it will provide coverage to 32 million more people while lowering health care costs over the long term. This legislation is estimated to reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years. It will make health insurance affordable for middle class families and small businesses by reducing premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Millions of Americans will have access to affordable insurance choices through the exchanges that are established by the legislation. Insurance companies will be held accountable -- it is no longer acceptable to deny care and coverage for pre-existing conditions, impose lifetime coverage limits, or enact exorbitant premium increases. It also extended the solvency of the Medicare trust and improved Medicare benefits by lowering prescription drug costs for those in the "donut hole.' And recommended preventive care -- things like mammograms, colonoscopies, and cholesterol and diabetes screenings -- no longer require out-of-pocket costs.

Here are just some of the benefits the citizens of Connecticut's 3rd District will see from this reform:

* 467,000 residents will see improvements in their current health care coverage.

* Up to 136,000 families will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable.

* 7,700 residents with pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain coverage.

* Up to 15,400 small businesses will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable for their employees.

* 58,000 young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health insurance policy until their 26th birthday.

* 19,500 currently uninsured citizens will have access to health care coverage.

* 1,000 families won't have to file for bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.

* 47 community health centers will receive millions of dollars in new funding to see thousands of new patients.

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