Tennessee Health Care Reformers Comb Through House Health Bill
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November 10, 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennesseans denied insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition, disability or just being priced out of coverage are the "winners" under health care reform passed recently in the U.S. House of Representatives. That's the assessment of the fine print by Susan McKay, communications director with the Tennessee Healthcare Campaign, who calls the bill an accomplishment decades in the making.
"It's the first time really in our history that a house of Congress has passed reform of this magnitude for health care. The only thing that rivals it is, of course, Medicare, which happened over forty years ago."
McKay says it's a piece of legislation with components which should bring peace of mind to many Tennesseans.
"The good news is that there's going to be reform that benefits everyone. Health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny people because they have a pre-existing condition.""
Families USA recently found that one Tennessean in three was without health care insurance at some point in the years 2006 and 2007.
Some U.S. House members say they voted against the bill because they feel Medicare spending would rise. Other criticisms of the bill include the phasing out of the Children's Health Insurance Program, and what's viewed as a lack of provisions to control medical costs.