[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19571]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE NEED FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Ms. SCHWARTZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Almost 50 million Americans are without health 
coverage. Many millions more worry about the stability of their 
coverage, that they will lose coverage or that at a time of accident or 
illness their insurance will not cover critical needs. In my home State 
of Pennsylvania, families have seen a 100 percent increase in their 
health premiums since 2000. Nearly one in five Pennsylvania families 
pay more than 10 percent of their income on health care, and American 
businesses are struggling with increasing premiums, forcing them to 
pass on more of the cost to employees or to drop coverage all together.
  The Federal Government is the largest payer of American health care 
costs and currently paying nearly half of the $2.5 trillion health 
bill. And while costs keep rising at a rate faster than inflation, 
health outcomes for Americans are not improving.
  The status quo is simply unacceptable. Inaction is unacceptable. We 
must move forward in offering a uniquely American solution to 
strengthening and reforming our health care system. Health care reform 
means making difficult decisions. Without congressional action, there 
will be higher costs and greater uncertainty for all of us. It's time 
to act.

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