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For Immediate Release
December 15, 2009
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Communications Coordinator
1-800-838-0388
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| NEW
REPORT:85,000 MAINERS MAY GAIN
COVERAGE IF SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL PASSES
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| A new report by Families
USA (FUSA), a national partner of
Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC), shows
why passing the Senate Health Reform is
crucial to thousands of Maine families. CAHC
already knows from talking with
so many Maine families that the bill's
passage or failure will have a profound
impact on the health and well-being of
many residents-- but this report shows
specifically how the ongoing Senate debate
over health care reform relates to everyday
life in Maine.
The FUSA report, based on Congressional
Budget Office data, shows if the Senate
health reform bill passes, 85,000 Maine
people will gain health coverage.
In contrast, it indicates that
without health reform, 85,000 people
in Maine will lose health care coverage
by 2019.
"As Maine's largest consumer health
care coalition, we are so pleased that
national health care reform is finally close
to becoming a reality--and the current
bill will potentially increase health
coverage to so many people. But,
more still needs to be done to ensure
all Mainers have access to quality,
affordable health care. We are
hoping our Congressional Leaders will continue
to work to reign in health care costs
and make sure that health coverage will
be affordable for all Maine people,"
says CAHC Executive Director Joe Ditré.
In 2007 and 2008, the average number
of uninsured in Maine was 126,000, but
that total will rise to 148,000 uninsured
people if the bill fails to pass.
Nationally, the number of uninsured
will reach 54 million in 2019 in the
absence of comprehensive health insurance
reform.
"The consequences of inaction are very
severe for people in Maine and across
the country,"
said Ron Pollack, Executive Director
of Families USA. "If the Senate fails
to act, Americans will continue to struggle
and a growing number of them will face
the devastating effects of going without
coverage."
Each and every state stands to gain
from the passage of health reform. Passing
the Senate's Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act will not only extend
coverage to millions of Americans, but
it will also help bolster the economy,
increase the stability and security
of coverage, and moderate the rise of
health insurance premiums.
The "Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act" covers millions of people
by doing the following:
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Ensuring
Access For All: The Senate bill
requires insurers to offer coverage
to every person who applies, regardless
of health status, age, or gender.
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Making
Premiums Affordable: The Senate
bill helps millions of middle-class
families who simply cannot afford
health coverage by creating a new
health insurance marketplace where
they will be able to purchase quality
coverage, regardless of gender or
health status. In addition, the
bill will make premium subsidies
available to families with incomes
up to 400 percent of the federal
poverty level ($88,200 in annual
income for a family of four in 2009).
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Strengthening
Medicaid: In 42 states, adults
without dependent children are
currently not eligible for Medicaid
at all-even if they are penniless.
The Senate bill will make all
individuals who have incomes below
133 percent of poverty (about
$29,330 for a family of four in
2009) eligible for Medicaid regardless
of whether they have dependent
children or not, substantially
increasing the number of very
low-income people with health
coverage.
A
copy of the FUSA report, "At a Crossroads:
Is health Coverage Ahead for America?"
is available online here.
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Consumers for Affordable Health Care
is a non-profit, non-partisan organization
that has been helping Maine people get
quality, affordable health care for
more than 20 years.
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For more information or to schedule
interviews contact:
Cherilee Budrick, Communications Coordinator
Consumers for Affordable Health Care
207-622-7083
cbudrick@mainecahc.org
Consumers
for Affordable Health Care
* P.O. Box 2490
* Augusta, ME *
04330-2490
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