Contact: Monique.Clendinen@mail.house.gov
Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen, a physician and co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health and Wellness Taskforce, today applauded the Senate Finance Committee for acting on health care legislation that brings this nation one step closer to meaningful health care reform.
“I am very pleased that the 14 individuals who voted in support of this legislation answered the call that we have all been hearing as it pertains to health care reform,” noted Congresswoman Christensen. “And, with the consumer protections and assistance to help lower-income families purchase coverage in place, today marks a noted step in the right direction.”
“However,” warns Congresswoman Christensen, “it is not and cannot be the only step taken.” The Senate Finance Committee package lacks a robust public option, as well as many of the health disparity elimination provisions that are included in the House bill. “Because the Senate Finance bill does not include a robust public option – which will play a pivotal role in covering the more than 46 million Americans who are currently uninsured – or many of the health equity provisions to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities that are included in the House bill, it is imperative that everyone who is calling for health care reform and working for health equity continue their efforts,” advised the Delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“We know that eliminating health disparities will save not only human lives, but billions of dollars in direct medical costs,” continued Congresswoman Christensen. “By omitting stronger health equity provisions in the bill, it not only undermines the cost savings that could be realized, but it does so at the expense of our nation’s most vulnerable Americans.”
“This point is critical, especially given that we know that health inequities don’t only cost human lives, but – over a four year period – total $1.24 trillion in direct and indirect costs. And, we know that had health care reform occurred a decade ago, 880,000 African-Americans lives would have been saved.”
The Senate package also lacks the glide path toward Medicaid parity for the U.S. Territories that is included in the House bill. “As the representative from the U.S. Virgin Islands, I have joined my colleagues from the other territories to ensure that we, too, benefit from this historic legislation,” explained Congresswoman Christensen. “While the Senate Finance bill expands the numbers of those who will be newly eligible for Medicaid and does so outside of the cap, it excludes us from the Exchange and fails to put us on a glide path toward Medicaid parity – issues that I am committed to addressing as this process proceeds.”
“Health care reform has the potential to improve not only the health and health care, but the wellness and life opportunities of millions of innocent Americans who not only want it, but deserve it. We need to make the full investment needed. Cutting the cost because CBO will not score the savings in prevention, disparity and other provisions is not real health reform and so, it is crucialfor people to remember that a great deal of work remains ahead of us if we are going to succeed at reforming the healthcare system in a manner that truly transforms it,” concluded Congresswoman Christensen.
