Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY-28) joined members of the community to explain that they would receive better health care, more choices and lowered costs thanks to the Affordable Health Care Act passed by the House last Saturday.

Slaughter was joined by members of the labor and faith communities, health care professionals, seniors and students as she emphasized the benefits for all Americans in the historic health care legislation.

“I am so proud to have joined many of my colleagues in making history and moving health care reform closer than ever to reality,” said Slaughter. “Since the time of Teddy Roosevelt we’ve been talking about making our health care system more accessible and more affordable to Americans. I was proud to vote for this historic legislation because I know all the wonderful things it will do for all of you.”

“This bill will promote small business growth helping more than 1,400 in my district alone provide coverage for their employees, who often go without benefits because they are too small to negotiate lower prices like big businesses. It gives young adults health security and allows them to stay on their parents’ plan through their 27^th birthday, regardless of what state they live in. And I’m particularly proud of what this bill will do for women,” said Slaughter.

“In eight states and the District of Columbia, it is currently legal for insurance companies in the individual insurance market to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence – and insurance companies are happy to take advantage of this loophole. I was proud to add a provision that would outlaw, as of January 10, 2010, domestic violence from ever being considered a reason that a woman shouldn’t have the same insurance that a man gets.”

This bill is a critical boost to our nation’s economic health and will improve care for all Americans:

• This bill reigns in costs and assures that 85% of premium dollars are spent on health care, not administrative costs or insurance company profits;
• It removes lifetime and yearly caps insurance companies use to dictate how much they’re willing to spend on your care.  Medical costs are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy; last year in the 28^th district alone there were 1,000 personal bankruptcies caused by health care costs;
• The House health care bill increases quality of care by requiring all insurance plans to meet a minimum standard.  It ensures that you can take your insurance with you if you lose your job, change jobs, or move;
• It provides security and eliminates the threat that your insurance company can deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition;
• And it invests in preventative care eliminating co-pays and deductibles for procedures like mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations and hypertension treatments.

Among the many guests praising the House health bill, Slaughter was joined by Dave Hollen, AARP NY Volunteer Congressional Coordinator for Western New York. He thanked Slaughter for her leadership and vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act saying, “This was a giant step closer to delivering on key health reform priorities important to our AARP members, including strengthening Medicare and making health coverage more available to our members who are not yet of Medicare age.”

Currently 9,000 seniors in the 28^th Congressional District have to pay the full cost of their prescriptions despite having Medicare Part D coverage. The House bill will close the prescription drug donut hole offering help for those seniors.

Slaughter was also joined by Dr. LaVonne Ansari, Executive Director, Community Health Center of Buffalo, Rev. Michael Chapman, Pastor at St. John Baptist Church; Diana Cihak, of the Citizen Action of WNY & Health Care for America; Andrew Deluca, a student at Niagara County Community College; Donna Owens, Niagara Falls City Administrator and many members of the local labor community including Sam Williams President of UAW PAC and Chair of the WNY Working Families Party. Together they expressed their confident belief that this health care reform would provide all Western New Yorkers security and more affordable heath care choices.

The historic health care bill passed the House of Representatives over the weekend with bipartisan support by a vote of 220-215. As Chairwoman of the powerful House Rules Committee, Slaughter oversaw a hearing on the bill and led the morning debate on the House floor. Her comments on the floor are available here: http://www.youtube.com/louiseslaughter

For more information on how this health care bill will benefit the following groups, please visit:

• Women: Slaughter’s Statement | One-pager
• Senior Citizens: Slaughter’s Statement | One-pager
• Young Adults: Slaughter’s Statement | One-pager
• Small Businesses: Slaughter’s Op-Ed | One-pager