[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24738]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PREMIUMS WILL RISE UNDER HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. SMITH of Nebraska asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, in the next few weeks, the House 
of Representatives will be taking up health care reform legislation.
  A report released Monday by PricewaterhouseCoopers showed the Senate 
Finance Committee's version of the health care bill will impose stiff 
costs to the American people. According to the report, a family paying 
$12,300 currently for their health insurance policy would find 
themselves paying nearly $26,000, on average, by 2019 under this bill. 
Premiums for a single person would go up by $600 a year.
  Mr. Speaker, Americans want reform which expands access to affordable 
health care and gives families the freedom to choose the policy which 
fits their needs. Americans want meaningful medical liability reform to 
help deter frivolous lawsuits, and they also want to be able to buy 
health insurance across State lines.
  Republicans are willing to work with our colleagues to find 
bipartisan solutions to the hurdles standing in the way of health care 
reform.

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