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 Ocean State Action is the Rhode Island campaign coordinator of Health Care for America Now. Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is a national grassroots campaign organizing millions of Americans to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for all.
In Rhode Island, we're bringing together community organizations, nurses, doctors, small business owners, faith-based groups, organizations of people of color, and seniors who believe it's time we had an American solution that provides quality, affordable health care for everyone.
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See a list of the Health Care for American Now! campaign partners in Rhode Island and nationally.
October 15, 2009
New Report: Senate HELP Committee Bill Makes Health Care $983 more affordable than does Senate Finance bill for a typical Rhode Island family
According to a new report released on October 15 by Ocean State Action as part of Health Care for America Now, health care will be $983 more affordable per year for the average Rhode Island family under the health care reform bill passed by the Senate HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Committee than under legislation passed by the Senate Finance Committee. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse sat on the HELP committee when the bill was being crafted. Neither was involved in the Senate Finance bill.
A typical Rhode Island family of three earning $70,117 a year – the state median income – would pay $983 less in premiums and out-of-pocket costs under the HELP bill.
“Rhode Island families will have good, affordable health care if the Senate enacts the HELP Committee bill instead of the Finance Committee bill,” said Ivette Luna, lead organizer for Ocean State Action. “We appreciate the work that Senators Reed and Whitehouse did to help craft the HELP bill. Now we need them to advocate for its superior provisions as the senate crafts final legislation.”
The HELP bill also will make insurance more affordable by giving consumers the choice of a public insurance plan and by requiring larger employers to contribute to their employees' coverage. The finance bill does neither of these.
The report is available here.
Take Action: You can call Senators Reed and Whitehouse to ask them to fight for the HELP bill by clicking here.
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Three Proposals to Pay for Health Care Reform without Hurting Struggling Families in Rhode Island
