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AARP backing key to health care vote
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AARP's support was one of four key elements that helped push last night passage of the historic health care reform measure in the U.S. House.
The House last night voted 220-215 to approve the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the accompanying Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961).
AARP, as the largest representative organization of Baby Boomers and seniors 50 years and older, came out strongly for measures on Thursday.
AARP Chief Executive Officer A. Barry Rand praised the vote in a statement:
“Our nation is now closer than ever to a health care system that actually works for all Americans. For too long, insurance companies have taken advantage of discriminatory practices to cherry pick the most profitable customers. And for too long, the high costs of prescription drugs have forced seniors to choose between their medication and other necessities. We must fix this broken and inequitable system.”
AARP's backing was big because of the political weight of the organization and because of the size of the population they seek to represent, in particular the nation's 78 billion Baby Boomers who are aging and are requiring more health care at a time when many consider the health care system woefully broken.
See related story:
AARP gets behind health care bills ... will members?
That was a key endorsement one praised by President Barack Obama.
Other key factors were the endorsement of the plan by the American Medical Association and a visit by Obama to Capitol Hill to sway wavering Democrats.
The last key element was an agreement that blocks abortion from the government option plan.
The 220 majority included one Republican, an agreement that blocks abortion from the government option plan. Thirty-nine Democrats voted against the bill.
See the roll call vote here.
The measure will cost about $1 trillion over a decade to provide health insurance to an additional 36 million Americans and creates a new public insurance plan to compete with private insurers by 2013.
It also requires most Americans to carry insurance, creates a new exchange where they can shop for it and gives the low wage earners tax credits to help them pay for it.
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