ELCA e-Advocacy Network
Health Care Reform
News and Alerts

Where Things Stand

Last Thursday (10/29), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi unveiled the House health reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The bill was introduced by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI). You can see the bill here.

This past Tuesday night (11/3), the House Rules Committee posted the manager’s amendment for the health bill, which is a package of technical changes and individual amendments to the original bill.

By making these additional changes public on Tuesday, the House Democratic leaders could open debate on the bill Friday or Saturday. As of this writing, a vote on H.R. 3962 is expected on Saturday, November 7.

More About H.R. 3962

There is much to applaud about the House’s health reform bill, especially concerning coverage, affordability, and consumer protection. The bill would cover 96 percent of non-elderly legal residents, reducing the uninsured by 36 million. It expands Medicaid eligibility for the lowest-income people and provides sliding scale subsidies for other low- and moderate-income people to purchase insurance. It also establishes a national health exchange to make a range of coverage options available to individuals and small businesses.

Additionally, insurers would no longer be able to deny coverage to new enrollees with pre-existing conditions, and they would also be banned from dropping coverage for people they already insure after a policyholder becomes ill or injured. The bill sets minimum standards regarding what insurers could offer, including an annual cap on out-of-pocket costs and a ban on annual or lifetime benefit limits.

While additional cost containment measures are desirable, the bill’s cost is still fully offset, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says that the legislation would reduce budget deficits by $104 billion over 10 years.

To learn more about the House bill, see analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

For an interactive side-by-side health reform comparison tool that includes the House bill, see the Kaiser Family Foundation.

What You Can Do

With a vote on the House bill likely this Saturday, now is an important time to call your representative and make your voice heard. You can use this toll-free number: 1-888-797-8717.

Lutherans like Pat, Kris, Sharon, Karen, and Rebecca have shared their health care stories with us, and it is clear that the current system is not working for many people. While no bill will ever be perfect, provisions like those mentioned above would positively impact the lives of the many among us who struggle with a lack of adequate health care.

Tell your representative that you are praying for moral leadership from Congress, and tell him/her about the policy provisions that are important to you.  Lift your messages of hope, compassion, the common good, shared responsibility, concern for those who are vulnerable, and faithful stewardship of our abundant health care resources.

You can find the ELCA social statement on health and health care here and to learn more about the work of Lutherans on this issue, visit the Health Care Reform page on the ELCA Web site.