House Democrats Unveil Historic Bill, Which Includes Several Markey-Authored Provisions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee--one of three committees with jurisdiction over health care policy--issued the following statement after House Democrats unveiled an updated version of their health care reform proposal:
“For more than 70 years, lawmakers from both parties have worked to reform our health care system and provide high-quality care for all Americans. Today, we are closer to fulfilling that promise than ever before,” said Rep. Markey.
“The historic bill we are unveiling today will ensure that all Americans will have access to high-quality, affordable health care. Our bill preserves and strengthens the sacred trust of Medicare, provides stability and security to working families, and ensures a health future for our children.
“Our bill contains several provisions that I authored including the Independence at Home Act, which creates a Medicare demonstration program through which chronically ill seniors will receive coordinated care from a team of health care professionals right in their own homes. This provision not only improves care for the most vulnerable among us, but also could save taxpayers money in the process by catching emerging health problems early, before they require a costly hospitalization.”
“Another of my provisions, the Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act, will allow patients with rare diseases, like cystic fibrosis, to participate in clinical trial research to find a cure for their devastating disease without losing eligibility for Social Security benefits.”
In addition, Rep. Markey helped secure a Medicaid program for adult day health care services for vulnerable and disabled seniors and a Medicaid benefit providing transportation for chronically ill or disabled patients who need help getting to their doctor and hospital visits. Rep. Markey also authored a provision that helps prevent those insurers participating in the new National Exchange from cherry-picking only healthy patients. Rep. Markey also worked to ensure that Massachusetts was not disadvantaged as efforts proceed to study the geographic variations in Medicare reimbursement rates across the country.
The full text of the bill can be found here: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
