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House health reform bill goes long way toward solving healthcare crisis, CU says

Consumer protections, more affordable and secure health coverage, cited in endorsement

Nov. 2, 2009

Consumers Union endorses HR. 3962, the Affordable Healthcare for America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Consumers Union, the independent, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, strongly endorses H.R. 3962, the “Affordable Healthcare for America Act,” and urges Members of the House to vote for it without damaging amendments.

“Healthcare is a consumer crisis with its crippling costs, its unreliability, and lack of access for too many Americans. By creating a more secure, affordable healthcare system, the House bill goes a long way towards solving the crisis,” said Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union.

Consumers Union has been working for 70 years on behalf of affordable, quality, secure health insurance coverage for all Americans. This bill at long last goes a long way toward achieving these goals.

In addition to key consumer protections that eliminate current anti-consumer practices like excluding applicants who have pre-existing conditions, the bill makes health insurance more affordable and secure. It includes a wealth of major health reforms—far too many to single them all out. We particularly support:

–the provision on comparative effectiveness research, which will help consumers and their medical providers better determine the most effective treatment options;

–public reporting of health-care acquired infection rates: public disclosure will help consumers and providers focus on reducing these deadly infections, which are killing 100,000 Americans per year; and

— a new public health insurance option in a National Health Insurance Exchange.

In endorsing the bill, we stress the need to ensure that affordability is maintained–or even improved–in the Conference process so every American can truly afford health insurance, and that in the future overall costs be better controlled and quality increased through improvements in the health-care delivery system.

MEDIA CONTACT: David Butler, Consumers Union, 202 -462-6262, ext. 1116, dbutler@consumer.org

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers

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