ouse Republicans Vote to Put Health Insurance Industry In Charge of Americans’ Health Care

House Republicans stood with health insurance companies by voting to repeal the new health insurance reform law that protects Americans from insurance company abuses and makes health care affordable.
Under the Republican repeal effort:

• Insurance companies will once again be able to drop people when they get sick – exactly when coverage is needed most;
• Children with pre-existing conditions will be denied coverage, while insurance companies would again impose devastating annual and lifetime caps;
• Seniors will face an increase in their prescription drug costs – millions thrown back into the Medicare Part D Donut Hole. Repeal would deny seniors a 50% discount on prescription drugs, re-creating the devastating coverage gap.
• Young people will not be able to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26;
• Pregnant women and breast cancer survivors can be denied coverage;

According to the Center for American Progress, the repeal of health insurance reform would eliminate 250,000 to 400,000 jobs annually over the next decade. [Center for American Progress, 1/7/11]
Background

• House Republicans voted to repeal Health Insurance Reform. [H.R. 2, #14, 1/19/11]  Health Insurance Reform legislation passed the House of Representatives on Sunday, March 21, 2010  [H.R. 3590, #165, 3/21/10] [H.R. 4872, #167, 3/21/10]

• According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, repealing health insurance reform legislation will add $240 billion to the deficit. [Politico; 1/6/11]

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