Ron Pollack

American voters' focus during the elections has been overwhelmingly on jobs and the economy, and this will remain the key public concern until the economy substantially improves. As pre-election polls reflect, calls to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are not supported by America's voters - and they certainly are not the motivating factor in the elections.

Many independent polls have demonstrated that a majority of Americans either want to allow implementation of the new law to move forward or want to build on it to make further health reform improvements. Most voters do not want to repeal the new law and lose the many benefits they are already receiving or will receive.

Among the many improvements in the legislation that Americans savor and wish to protect are:

· Protections that prevent insurance companies from denying health coverage due to pre-existing conditions;

· Rules that stop insurance companies from charging discriminatory premiums to women;

· The opportunity for

A Medicare early buy-in for 55-64 year olds is not a new idea. It has been previously proposed as a useful incremental step in extending coverage to people who otherwise have great difficulty obtaining health insurance in the current system. In the context of broader health care reform, however, the role of an early buy-in would be different than the one conceived by its proponents in years past. This does not mean it is a bad idea; quite the contrary – it could serve a valuable role in a reformed health care system. But maximizing the effectiveness of an early buy-in raises several key questions that are yet to be answered. In the past, an early buy-in was seen as a way to get coverage to 55 to 64 year olds for whom the existing health insurance system does not work. Early retirees are especially vulnerable to being uninsured when they leave their employer and lose their connection to employer-sponsored coverage. People ages 55-64 are actually less likely to be uninsured than those ages 19-34 and 35-54 (only 12 percent of those 55-64 are uninsured, compared to 17 percent for

For America's families, the key assessment about health insurance
reform will be a personal pocketbook test, namely: Will the legislation
result in needed financial relief for families struggling to pay for
health coverage and care?

The newly announced Senate bill scores high marks on the personal
pocketbook test-making health insurance much more affordable for
hard-working middle-class American families.

Through tax-credit subsidies made available for plans in a newly
created marketplace, the Senate bill limits a family of four with income
under about $88,000 a year from spending more than 9.8 percent of the
family's budget on health insurance premiums. With the average cost of
family health insurance coverage at $13,000 a year, families could see
their insurance costs cut in half or more. This affordability protection
in the new bill is stronger than the previous provisions in the Senate
Finance Committee bill.

As the bill moves forward, we urge tha

In Washington, much of the discussion about affordability focuses on the gross costs of health insurance reform to the federal government: Specifically, should the gross federal costs be limited to $800 billion over ten years, $900 billion, $1 trillion, or some other figure. (The net costs will actually be zero or less since the gross costs will be fully paid for through the elimination of health system waste and new revenues.) Around the country, however, America's families cannot fathom the difference between $800 billion, $1 trillion, or some similar figure. Instead, the value of health insurance reform for America's families, and families' real measure of affordability, will be determined by their own "pocketbook test": Will health reform result in sufficient savings so health coverage and care fit within family budgets. The affordability test will be extremely important for middle-class as well as moderate- and low-income people and families. It makes sense, therefore, that sliding-scale subsidies be extended to people and families with incomes of at least 400 percent

We should make every effort to secure health coverage for all Americans. However, instead of playing a numbers game of what percentage of the American public needs to have health insurance for it to be considered universal health coverage, we should focus on the key measures that need to be taken by Congress to move us towards the universal goal. At least two sets of improvements to the pending bills should receive top-priority attention.

First, we need to ensure that the Medicaid expansions for America's lowest-income people and families -- currently proposed under all pending bills to rise to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (approximately $29,300 in annual income for a family of four) -- truly reach everyone who qualifies for the program. The Urban Institute estimates that, under this improved standard, more than 22.7 million people will become newly eligible for Medicaid coverage. However, the Congressional Budget Office projects that only half of these people will actually be reached and get enrolled. Improving this enrollment will go a long way towards universa

Today's criticism by the insurance lobby gives hypocrisy a bad name.

The insurance lobby now claims that health care reform will cause significant premium increases, conveniently forgetting that they imposed significant premium increases during the past decade that are making health coverage unaffordable for families and businesses.

In the decade of 2000 to 2009, average family insurance premiums for employer-based health coverage increased from $6,772 to $13,073-an increase of 93 percent while median worker earnings rose by only 19 percent.

As a result, premiums rose 4.9 times faster than earnings - even though those rising premiums purchased 'thinner' coverage with higher deductibles and copayments as well as fewer benefits.

The insurance lobby's scare tactics are ironic and deplorable. They are like a poker player who complains about his hand when, in fact, he is the dealer.

The CBO score of the Senate Finance Committee's proposal augurs well for the passage of health care reform in the Senate -- even securing the 60 votes needed to stop a filibuster. The fact that the Senate Finance Committee's proposal reduces the deficit in the first ten years by $81 billion; that its cost is estimated to be $829 billion; and that it increases health coverage from 83 percent to 94 percent of legal residents will make the proposal very appealing to Senators as it is merged with the Senate HELP Committee's bill. This happy development offers new opportunities to strengthen the final bill. As Senator Baucus and other leaders have said, one area that needs continuous attention as the bill moves forward is the affordability of health coverage for America's low-, moderate-, and middle-income families. Although America's families may not be able to decipher the real difference between a bill that costs $829 billion or $929 billion or more than $1 trillion over ten years, they certainly will feel the difference if they receive subsidy relief that reduces their premium and o

The Medicaid expansion contained in the various health reform bills is a key and laudable component of expanding health care coverage. It makes abundant sense to establish a nationwide Medicaid eligibility floor of 133 percent of the federal poverty level – eligibility that would cover three-person families, as an example, with annual incomes below $24,352.

Today, in half the states, parents in three-person households earning more than $12,268 a year are considered “too rich” to qualify for Medicaid. The proposed expansion will not only help the very low-income parents, but it will help their children as well: Expanding Medicaid will allow all poor parents to get health coverage in the same health plan as their children, thereby increasing the likelihood that children will be enrolled in coverage they may be eligible for but are not receiving today.

For adults without dependent children, this Medicaid expansion is at least as significant. In 42 states, those non-parental adults are currently ineligible for Medicaid even if they are penn

The challenge for the President tonight was to explain how health care reform would help America’s families and businesses. He succeeded in meeting this challenge and, as a result, the President substantially improved the likelihood that meaningful health care reform will be adopted this year.

For the past weeks, the public has only heard about the myths of health care reform and about the most contentious policy issues.

Tonight the President’s speech ascended above this confusing din. He explained how key health reform provisions – which are in all the bills, are not the subject of contentiousness, and yet are unknown to the public – will help America’s families and businesses.

As people around the country learn more about what is truly in the health reform legislation, they will strengthen their conviction that the status quo cannot be an option for our nation. The President aided this process enormously tonight.

We -- the nation, the world -- lost a good, gentle giant last night. Ted Kennedy was the finest, the most accomplished, legislator in our lifetime. Through his public service, he enriched the lives of countless people -- people who needed a passionate and compassionate voice in the seat of power. His strong, emphatic voice was often the clarion call that made possible historic advances in civil rights, equal education opportunities, removal of barriers for people with disabilities, judicial justice, workers' and retirees' rights, and, of course, it has led us to the cusp of decent, affordable health care for everyone. Ted was a dreamer and an idealist. He also mastered the all-too-rare art of blending lofty ideals with political practicalities. He, better than anyone, understood what was achievable -- and he made it happen. Ted loved humanity. He also showered great warmth and affection to the people who had the opportunity to work closely with him. We will miss him more than words can express. May his example shine in our hearts so that we re-dedicate ourselves to th