Economic Recovery Bill Contains Important Health Care Relief

Families USA Supports Quick Enactment of the Bill

Today, leaders in Congress and the Obama Administration reached agreement on the health care provisions in the economic recovery package. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about that agreement:

"The deal announced today will help to address some of the health care problems that America’s families have experienced due to the recession.

"The deal provides significant assistance to states so they can avoid making deep cuts to health coverage for our nation’s most vulnerable families. We applaud congressional negotiators for including $87 billion in additional funds to states for their Medicaid programs. Without such help, many states would cut back existing health coverage for tens of millions of people.

"This specific assistance to the states, over and above other provisions in the bill, will also create and save jobs. For example, it will create 2,000 jobs in Nebraska, 4,000 in Maine, 20,100 in Michigan, 32,300 in Pennsylvania, and 105,000 in California.

"Unemployed workers who lose their jobs will also have a better chance of retaining their health coverage under this bill. It provides assistance to laid-off workers and their families by offering a significant subsidy to help pay for COBRA premiums. This will enable many families to continue the health coverage they had in their jobs. 

"This bill, while laudable, is not perfect. We are disappointed that the deal does not include temporary Medicaid eligibility for recently unemployed workers as contained in the original House bill. The absence of temporary Medicaid coverage for unemployed workers represents a regrettable, lost opportunity to help families during their period of greatest need. However, it should encourage everyone to move quickly toward the enactment of meaningful health care reform.

"We urge Congress to adopt this bill as quickly as possible."
 

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

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202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org