In this section you'll find issue briefs, testimonies, and reports that explore the unfolding legislative process and explain how Families USA envisions moving forward with health care reform in 2009.
At a Crossroads: Is Health Coverage Ahead for America? examines how the Senate health reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will affect health coverage. It provides state-specific numbers on how many people will gain coverage under the bill, as well as how many people will be uninsured without health reform. (December 2009)
The Republican Health Reform Proposal: A Destructive Alternative The Republican's eleventh-hour proposal fails to address the key concerns of businesses and families. (November 2009)
Senate Amendment on Wellness Program Surcharges Jeopardizes Access to Affordable Coverage and Care describes the concerns with an amendment under consideration in the Senate health reform bill that would allow employers and insurers to charge heath insurance enrollees larger surcharges for failing to meet "wellness" plan goals than are currently allowed. Wellness plans that impose surcharges make health coverage less affordable, as described in Reward/Penalty Plans for Wellness: Coming Soon to an Office Near You?
Health Coverage in the States: How Will Health Reform Help? analyzes how the House health reform bill, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, would address many of the gaps and problems in the health care systems of specific states. (September-October 2009)
Coverage for America: We All Stand to Gain provides state-by-state estimates of how many people will gain coverage under the House health reform bill, known as America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. (July 2009)
Why Is a Public Insurance Plan an Important Part of Health Reform? looks at how a high-quality, affordable public plan will help lower health care costs and add a solid option to the health insurance marketplace. (July 2009)
Why Employers Should Share the Responsibility of Paying for Health Care discusses five reasons why it makes sense to require employers to contribute to the cost of health coverage, known as an "employer responsibility requirement." (June 2009)
Ron Pollack Testimony before House Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee on role of Medicaid in health reform. (June 24, 2009)
Ron Pollack Testimony before House Committee on Education and Labor on House tri-committee health reform bill. (June 23, 2009)
Families USA’s Comments on Senate Finance Committee’s options paper, “Expanding Health Care Coverage: Proposals to Provide Affordable Coverage to All Americans.” (May 22, 2009)
Key Priorities to Help Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries discusses three actions Congress should take to improve the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) as part of health reform. (May 2009)
Medicare: Helping Low-Income Seniors and People with Disabilities examines the high out-of-pocket costs Medicare beneficiaries face and how health reform should improve existing programs that help them afford these costs. (May 2009)
Ron Pollack Statement for Senate Finance Committee Roundtable on Coverage Issues in Health Reform. (May 5, 2009)
Ways to Reduce the Cost of Health Insurance for Employers, Employees, and Their Families, Ron Pollack Statement for House Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Health, Employer, Labor, and Pensions. (April 23, 2009)
Health Care Must Be Affordable for All Families, Regardless of Income presents crucial arguments for why health reform must ensure that health care is truly affordable. It proposes placing reasonable limits on out-of-pocket costs and providing subsidies, especially for those with low and moderate incomes. (April 2009)
Fact Sheet: Covering the Uninsured in Medicaid describes the critical role Medicaid must play in ensuring coverage for all low-income Americans as part of health care reform. (April 2009)
Health Care Reform: Critical to Closing the Gap for Communities of Color presents a more in-depth look at data on the uninsured, which reveal alarming racial and ethnic disparities in health coverage. (March 2009)
