Affordable Health Care For All

There are over 40 million Americans who do not have health insurance and countless others whose coverage is not adequate.  Our government must do a better job of ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to purchase affordable insurance for themselves and their families.

One of the areas where Congress is in the position to make an immediate impact is by expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program.  S-CHIP currently covers over four million low-income children nationwide with health insurance coverage, including over 100,000 through Family Care in New Jersey.  It has proven to be an incredibly successful program, and this past year, I voted twice with my colleagues to greatly expand the amount of children that would be eligible for coverage.  This would allow New Jersey to further cover another 100,000 children and ensure that no family will have to choose between paying the gas bill and paying for their child's visit to the doctor.

Congress must also ensure that the programs our senior citizens rely on for their health coverage remain solvent and responsive to the needs of the elderly.  As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I have worked closely with my colleagues this past year to ensure that doctors are able to continue to provide the highest quality health services to those enrolled in Medicare.  After everything that our seniors have given to this country, the last thing they should ever have to worry about is their health coverage.

The United States is the richest country in the world, and health insurance should not be a privilege granted to the wealthy.  Quality healthcare is a right, and by focusing on preventative care, cutting waste and administrative costs, and helping those who cannot afford coverage on their own, we can achieve a far better system of health care in this country for all Americans.

 (Creative Commons [1] image by dmason [2])