Senate HELP Committee's Bipartisan Health Care Bill Positive First Step Toward Stabilization, Say Patient, Provider, and Consumer Groups

A non-partisan group of 29 patient, provider and consumer groups today praised the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for crafting bipartisan legislation that will help stabilize the individual insurance markets:

"The new bipartisan bill from the Senate HELP Committee Chair and Ranking Member offers some solid strategies to help restore confidence in the individual health insurance market. The return to regular order and bipartisanship are a much-needed breath of fresh air in an often-divided Congress. Senators Alexander and Murray deserve high praise for their leadership on this complex and challenging issue.

The committee's proposal, which extends cost-sharing reduction payments and includes other mechanisms of stabilization, clearly moves us in the right direction. The legislation also preserves and supports key protections for individuals with preexisting conditions. We look forward to fully engaging in the next steps of this process – which will include a thorough and ongoing review of this bill's impact on patients and consumers – and we caution against any changes that might weaken existing patient protections.

We must do everything we can to push forward with a bipartisan plan that maintains access to quality and affordable care for all Americans."

ALS Association
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
Arthritis Foundation
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
Epilepsy Foundation
Family Voices
GBS/CIDP Foundation International
Lutheran Services in America
March of Dimes
METAvivor Research & Support Organization
Muscular Dystrophy Association
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
National Health Council
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Organization for Rare Disorders
Project Sleep
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Scleroderma Foundation
The Marfan Foundation
U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association
United Ostomy Associations of America
United Way Worldwide
Volunteers of America
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease