[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 69 (Wednesday, May 6, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H5173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, we have a lot to be proud of in the way 
our Nation has responded to the H1N1 outbreak on a large scale, but we 
have also exposed some large gaps in our response capabilities.
  The CDC's top recommendation to individuals experiencing flu-like 
symptoms is call your health provider. But 47 million Americans don't 
have regular access to a primary health care provider. And if our only 
recourse is to have these folks crowding the emergency departments, 
then we have a lot more to do to improve our response.
  This week I was proud to reintroduce with Senator Durbin the Public 
Health Emergency Response Act, legislation which will ensure health 
coverage for individuals during a public health emergency.
  Until we achieve universal coverage, we must at least ensure that 
Americans have access to care during a public health emergency and that 
health professionals who treat them are compensated.

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