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It’s been a pleasure to work with all my fellow freshman senators here on the floor
again and to join them right now. Last fall, we gathered regularly in this chamber to fight
for health care reform. As a group, we helped lead the charge to make quality, affordable
health care accessible to all Americans.
Yesterday, the change we’ve been fighting for became a reality. With President Obama’s
signature, health care reform is now the law of the land.
This moment has been a long time coming. Teddy Roosevelt first called for health care reform
nearly a century ago. His banner was taken up by a long and distinguished list of men
and women who advocated for change.
For too many years, New Mexicans – like Americans across the country – have struggled
to find or afford health insurance. They’ve struggled to hang on to policies that get
more and more expensive and more and more restrictive every day.
With this reform, all of that begins to change.
No longer will insurance companies be able to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.
No longer will they be able to dramatically increase rates without public scrutiny. No
longer will 32 million Americans worry every day about what would happen to their families
if they get sick or are in an accident. I'm proud to have fought for and voted in favor
of this historic legislation.
Yesterday, we began taking back control of our own health care. Today, the journey continues.
And I pledge to continue fighting every day to ensure New Mexico families and small businesses
have the security and stability that comes with access to quality, affordable health
care.
The reason I’ve fought so hard for reform is simple. For my constituents, the status
quo is not an option. So, it’s the people of New Mexico I’d like to talk about today.
They are the reason I stand up every day and fight for comprehensive reform.
People like Katheryn Whitesides.
Katheryn lives in Clayton, New Mexico. We met last year when she attended one of my
health care town halls.
Katheryn worked hard all her life. She had affordable insurance through her employer.
But since she retired, Katheryn’s health insurance premiums have risen dramatically
– from $110 a month when she was working to more than $800 dollars a month today.
Katheryn’s insurer recently denied a claim for a treatment she received. Now – on the
top of skyrocketing monthly premiums – she also owes about $4,000 in medical bills.
That’s more money than she receives from five months of pension payments.
As Katheryn herself said: “It’s unsustainable for me. And I know I’m not the only one.
I’m just looking for some relief – not just for me, but for all those people coming
behind me.”
To folks like Katheryn, I say, relief is coming.
This reform will make health insurance more affordable by placing caps on out-of-pocket
medical expenses. It would make it more affordable by providing premium assistance through tax
credits for low- and moderate-income families.
I’m fighting for New Mexicans like Katheryn. I’m also fighting for New Mexico’s small
businesses and for entrepreneurs like Arvind Raichur.
Arvind has owned a small business in Albuquerque for more than a decade.
As the boss, he made it a priority to provide his employees with good benefits. For years,
he’s paid 100 percent of his employees’ health care premiums. But he’s not sure
how much longer he’ll be able to do that and stay afloat.
You see, for the past few years, Arvind’s insurer has increased his company’s health
care premiums by between 30 and 40 percent every year. And there’s nothing Arvind can
do about it.
As Arvind said, “We’ve got no bargaining power. We’ve got no leverage. I’m insuring
maybe a dozen people at my company here. It’s very hard. The insurance companies give you
a 30 or 40 percent increase and that’s what you get. It’s too big a bite.”
To small business owners like Arvind and their employees, I say, relief is coming.
This reform will help small businesses by making it more affordable for them to offer
coverage for their employees.
We do this by providing tax credits for up to 50 percent of premiums. And by creating
small business health exchanges to build a larger employee pool.
In New Mexico, the vast majority of our uninsured are employed. But they and their employers
can’t afford coverage. These new tax credits will help our small businesses provide insurance
for their employees at a cost that they can afford.