Insurance

November 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE) released the following statement today following the Senate’s 60-39 vote to proceed with debate on the health care bill:

“By voting tonight to start debate, the Senate took the critical next step towards fixing a broken health care system. The bill will increase competition among insurance companies and give consumers more affordable choices. And it will eliminate the insurance industry’s two most outrageous practices, which have financially crippled too many Delawareans: denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and revoking insurance when it is needed the most.

"The bill will also help our economy by significantly cutting healthcare costs and reducing the deficit.”    » read more »

November 20, 2009 -- Washington, DC -- The Senate is poised to begin debate on the newly introduced Senate version of the health care reform package, the Patient Protection and Affordability Act. The Senate will move to a procedural vote on Saturday that will allow full consideration and debate of the health care reform bill. The minority is filibustering in an attempt to kill the bill before it’s given an opportunity to be considered. Senator Tim Johnson released the following statement:    » read more »

November 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) released the following statement this evening after the Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle that allowed debate to begin on the health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.    » read more »

November 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) today issued the following statement on the Senate health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said the total cost of the bill will be $849 billion, and when all provisions are accounted for, the bill will reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years. In the following decade, it will reduce the deficit by roughly $650 billion.

Senator Hagan said:    » read more »

November 18, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand gathered dozens of women leaders to protest Representative Bart Stupak's (D-MI) amendment. Doctors, businesswomen, teachers, public health experts, city, state, and federal elected officials and pro-choice leaders from NARAL, Planned Parenthood and others gathered to denounce the discriminatory and dangerous anti-choice provision, which would effectively prevent women from purchasing reproductive insurance with their own money and put the health of millions of women and young girls at grave risk.

After it was revealed that the Senate health care reform bill will not contain the dangerous and discriminatory Stupak measure, Senator Gillibrand released the following statement:    » read more »

Delivers Floor Speech in Favor of Health Care Benefits for Jobless WorkersWashington, D.C. -- Nov 19, 2009 – U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) today spoke from the Senate floor in support of the COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act, which would allow jobless workers to keep their health care while they sought new employment.

The text of his remarks follows:

Statement on the COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act
Senator Al Franken    » read more »

Insurance Company Regulations Included in Merged Senate Bill

Washington, D.C. -- Nov 19, 2009 – U.S. Senators John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) today praised the inclusion of a key cost-saving insurance company regulation that they fought to see included in the Senate health care reform bill.

The bill released last night contains provisions that require insurance companies to spend a set portion of their insurance premium dollars on actual health care services, as opposed to marketing campaigns, CEO salaries, and administrative costs. This portion of the dollar, known in the industry as “medical loss ratio,” has been set at 80 cents for group insurance plans and 75 cents for individual plans.    » read more »

Provisions Franken Fought for to Protect Minnesota Included

Washington, D.C. -- Nov 19, 2009 – Today, U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) offered praise for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act introduced last night by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains several measures that Sen. Franken has been fighting for specifically, including two key cost-saving insurance regulations, an important reform of Medicare payment rates that would help Minnesota, and a reduced medical device tax rate.    » read more »

November 21, 2009 -- “Tonight’s vote allows the Senate to address the number one issue raised at my annual listening sessions – health care, particularly the skyrocketing cost and difficulty accessing health care.

The bill before the Senate is not perfect but it contains some good reforms, while expanding coverage to more than 30 million Americans who currently go without insurance.

I am pleased that the bill will decrease the deficit by $130 billion over the next ten years, and by another $650 billion in the ten years following that.    » read more »

November 21, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) released the following statement today on his vote to begin debating health care reform legislation in the Senate:

“I voted tonight in favor of the Motion to Proceed, which simply allows the Senate to begin debating and amending a proposed health care reform bill.

“I’ve made no decisions about the legislation itself because there will be many amendments to the plan offered by myself and other colleagues in the next several weeks that will change the legislation.    » read more »

November 18, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) issued the following statement tonight after the release of the Senate health care reform legislation.

“This bill meets the test of history, reflecting the ideals that drove Ted Kennedy to lead the fight for health care reform for a generation and inspired me to take up his torch this summer. It’s a comprehensive and thorough approach that comes in under budget and finally makes stable, affordable, quality care available to every American. It has been an honor to work with Leader Reid and Chairman Baucus in this process, and I look forward to an open and inclusive debate on the Senate floor.    » read more »

Procedural Vote Cast in Order to Amend and Improve Health Reform Package, Senator says

November 21, 2009 -- Washington – In a rare late Saturday night session, Senator Kent Conrad tonight voted to move the Senate health reform proposal to the floor so that the entire Senate could formally begin to debate the legislation. In an important procedural step, the Senate voted 60-39 in favor of moving the legislation to the floor.

“The proposal put forward by Senator Reid is an important step toward delivering health care reform that lowers cost, expands coverage and improves health outcomes for all North Dakotans.

“Still, I believe further improvements can be made to this legislation, which is why I voted to move the bill to the floor for full consideration by the Senate.    » read more »

November 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Tonight the Senate voted to begin debate on their heath care bill by a vote of 60 to 39. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response:

“This bill, created by the merger of two Senate bills, deserves to be debated by the full Senate when we reconvene following Thanksgiving weekend.

“Is it perfect? No. Can we make it better? Yes we can, and we’re sure going to try.

“It is my hope that the full Senate will pass an even better bill by Christmas than the one we’ll be starting with now.    » read more »

Medicare, Basic Health provisions included. Cantwell pledges to further strengthen legislation in floor debate

November 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Health care reform legislation introduced today by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) includes major initiatives on coverage, quality and cost control authored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA).    » read more »

November 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following tonight’s vote by the U.S. Senate to open debate on health reform legislation, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement:    » read more »