| How Health Care Reform Will Help Washington State Seniors and Women Over the last week, I have gone to the Senate floor to speak about how health care reform will help our state's seniors and how it will eliminate barriers to care for women across the country. Below you can view the speeches and learn more about key provisions in health care reform legislation that will help many in our state. .................................................................................... Debunking Health Care Misinformation and Scare Tactics Aimed at Seniors  Yesterday, I delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate focusing on the benefits of health insurance reform for Washington state seniors. I debunked many of the rumors, misinformation, and scare tactics that have been targeted at seniors. I also discussed the Democrats long-term work to keep Medicare strong.
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Key excerpts: "There's a lot of concern out there. And there's a lot of bad information going around. The latest outrageous claim about reform is that it would hurt America's seniors. And, Mr. President, I am here today to tell our seniors and their families – that claim is false. Let me make this perfectly clear. We are not proposing to cut Medicare benefits or do anything to negatively affect the health of those receiving Medicare." "Scoring cheap political points doesn't do anything to help all Americans get affordable, quality health insurance. Our families – and especially our seniors – deserve better." "So don't be fooled when Republicans tell you that Democrats don't want to protect Medicare, or that health insurance reform won't be good for seniors. Mr. President, the truth is that the Democratic proposal will help seniors get the care and coverage they need and have earned. But this should come as no surprise. After all, Democrats have a long history of working to improve the health and general well-being of seniors." "Under the Republicans' plan, insurance companies can dump you for a pre-existing condition, or because you are a woman, or because you're getting older or because you get sick – and Medicare will face bankruptcy. Under our plan, if you like what you have you can keep it. If you don't there will be affordable choices for you. We will protect Medicare, we will not raise taxes on the middle class and we won't add a dime to the deficit." More  ......................................... Highlighting Benefits of Health Insurance Reform for Women  Today, I delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate highlighting why health insurance reform is so important for Washington state women. I told the story of a young man she met named Marcelas Owens, whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance, and then lost her life.
Audio | Video Key excerpts: "Because when the rising cost of health insurance hurts women, it hurts our nation. And for the millions of women across America who open the mail each month to see premiums go up, who can't get needed preventative care like mammograms because the co-pays are too much, who work part time or for a small business that doesn't provide insurance, who can't get covered for critical pre-natal care, or who are forced to stay in an abusive relationship because if they leave, their sick child will lose health care coverage We are their voice." "Our health care system is broken. It's broken for moms like Tifanny who work to provide for their families and are charged nearly 50 percent more than men for health care in the individual market. It's broken for women who are denied coverage or charged more for 'Pre-Existing Conditions' like pregnancy, C-sections, or domestic violence.And it's broken for their families and for little boys like Marcelas who can never get back what they have lost." "Enough is enough. The time is now. The status quo isn't working. For women across this country and for their families, our businesses and our nation's future strength, we have to get this right. We have to remember their stories and be their voices. We have to reform health insurance for our health and our future." More | 
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