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Rep. Napolitano: Health Care Bill Will Help 38th Congressional District

March 19, 2010

(Washington D.C.)- Today, Congresswoman Napolitano said that residents of California’s 38th Congressional District would be major beneficiaries of health care reform under the proposal that will come to vote soon in the House of Representatives.

“This bill would make a dramatic difference for businesses and families across my district,” Napolitano said. “Small businesses will be able to save money on health insurance, seniors will see the end of the ‘donut hole’ in their prescription drug coverage, and 115,500 people in the 38th District who are currently uninsured will be able to receive care.”

Recent data from an analysis released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce showed additional benefits to the 38th district:

• 321,000 residents of the district would see improved health care in the form of lower costs from insurance companies, the elimination of lifetime coverage caps, cheaper preventive care and a ban on denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
• 15,100 small businesses in the district would qualify for tax credits to lower the cost of health insurance.
• 7,500 seniors stuck in the Medicare Part D “donut hole” would be able to get their prescription drugs paid for.
• 18,900 people currently denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions would be able to receive care.
• In 2008, 1,100 families in the 38th District were forced into bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs. The current health care reform bill would cap out-of-pocket expenses to help prevent future bankruptcies caused by medical costs.

Sixteen percent of Americans are without health insurance, and the problem is especially acute in California – on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that one in four Californians are currently without health insurance.

Earlier this week, the impartial Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the current health care proposal would cut the deficit by as much as $138 billion over the next ten years and by as much as $1.2 trillion in the decade after that.

“These are more than just numbers, these are human lives at stake,” Napolitano said. “These reform measures will save lives and keep down health care costs for years to come.”

The 38th Congressional District includes the cities of Industry, La Puente, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Norwalk, Pomona, Santa Fe Springs, Avocado Heights, Bassett, Hacienda Heights, South San Jose, Valinda, West Puente Valley, and portions of Whittier, South San Gabriel and East Los Angeles.

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