Early 2009 Reform Efforts

Some legislation passed in early 2009 got health care reform started.

Health Care Coverage for Children

• On February 4, 2009, the President signed the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, better known as the State Children's Health Insurance Program or SCHIP.
• This provides continued coverage for 11 million children - including 4 million who were previously uninsured.

Protection for the Job-Less

• The President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act protects health coverage for 7 million Americans who lose their jobs through a 65 percent COBRA subsidy to make coverage affordable.

E-Medical Records

• The Recovery Act invests $19 billion in computerized medical records to help reduce costs and improve quality while ensuring patients' privacy.

Health, Wellness, Prevention, Training

• The Recovery Act also provides:
• $1 billion for prevention and wellness
• $1.1 billion for research to give doctors objective information on the relative benefits of treatments
• $500 million to help train the next generation of doctors and nurses

Source: www.whitehouse.gov

Background to Health Care Reform

Watch Healthcare Video: Why Do We Need Health Reform?