U.S. State Legislatures Endorse Federal Public Health Insurance Option

It is my pleasure to inform you that in the concluding meeting of its national conference, the full body of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) voted to include a public health insurance option in the organization’s official policy recommendations for federal health care reform. As a member of NCSL's Standing Committee on Health, Chair of the Progressive States Network (PSN), and a part of the White House Working Group of State Legislators for Health Care Reform, I worked closely with my colleagues to win this endorsement.

I am proud of our collaborative efforts to shape a policy that will improve access to quality, affordable health coverage for all Texans and Americans.

This endorsement is symbolic of a growing consensus by state legislators and the public in support of President Obama’s health care plan, which will ensure patient choice of doctor and strengthen employer based coverage. The President's plan is centered on preventive care and will lower costs both for employers and their employees. This sound public policy will benefit working families, state economies, and small businesses across the country.

In addition to the public option, the full body also recommended a series of policy proposals including strong affordability protections, assistance in expanding Medicaid programs, and freedom for states to set benefit requirements and other regulatory standards that exceed federal minimums.

Every day we are making progress towards closing the gap that has left millions of Americans without health care. We must continue working together to seize this opportunity.

I will keep you updated on this important policy matter as it continues to develop.

Committee Representing U.S. State Legislatures Endorses Public Health Insurance Option

Earlier this week, the National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Standing Committee on Health voted to include an amendment calling for a public health insurance option in the committee's official policy recommendations for federal health care reform. As a member of NCSL's Standing Committee on Health, this endorsement was something I along with the Progressive States Network (PSN) and the White House Working Group of State Legislators for Health Care Reform advocated for vigorously.

The committee's policy recommendation signals emerging state-level consensus behind one of President Obama's top reform priorities. As state legislators we've made it clear that we're ready to stand together and make sure working families and small businesses are free to choose the best health care available at a price they can afford.

In addition to the public option, the amendment also recommended a series of policy proposals including strong affordability protections, assistance in expanding Medicaid programs, and freedom for states to set benefit requirements and other regulatory standards that exceed federal minimums. These proposals were included in a letter that PSN, a national group which I co-chair, delivered to the White House and Congress last month pushing for comprehensive health reform within the year.

Working families and small businesses in Texas deserve the best health care America has to offer, and this platform is the most direct way to ensure they get it. It is critical that as a nation, we move forward to create a system where everyone is assured quality, affordable health care. The time to close the gap of the uninsured and underinsured is now.

Later today the recommendation will come up for a vote before the full body of NCSL, whose membership includes over 7,500 state legislators across the country.

I will keep you updated on this pressing policy matter as it develops.

Honored to be Considered a "People's Friend"

Friends,

As State Representative for District 147, it has been both my duty and an honor to serve the people of Houston and of Texas in whatever capacity I can. It is with excitement, and much humility, that I inform you that the Texas Observer Magazine has named me one of "the People's Friends" for my work during the 81st Legislative Session. Representative Scott Hochberg also received this honor. I have included a portion of the article below for your reference. To read the article in full click here.

As always, do not hesitate to contact my office at (512) 463-0524 if I can be of service to you.

The People’s Friends and Foes
Legislators who worked for—and against—the people's interests.

TEXAS OBSERVER STAFF | JUNE 26, 2009 | FEATURES
As a rule, we tend to steer clear of “best of” and “top 10” lists at the Observer. Sure, they’re fine ¬harmless fun; we just can’t help feeling that their natural milieu is high school yearbooks and The Late Show with David Letterman. But even haughty ¬journalist types can’t always resist the temptation. We herewith offer our highly selective tallies of lawmakers who notably opposed—or bravely ¬championed—the best interests of the good folk of Texas at the 81st Legislature.
…

The People's Friends

Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston

For those who follow Texas politics, Garnet Coleman and the Children’s Health Insurance Program have become nearly synonymous. Perhaps no recent government program has benefited working families as much as CHIP, which provides low-cost coverage to families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still can’t afford private insurance. And no lawmaker in the state has nurtured and protected the program since its inception in 1999 as fiercely as Coleman. This session, Coleman once again fought the good fight, sponsoring a bill to expand CHIP to 80,000 more Texas children. He pushed the bill through the House, only to see it die in the Senate. Coleman tried to resurrect the proposal right through the session’s final hours. He didn’t win this one. But Coleman will surely return in two years with another CHIP bill.

Push for National Health Care Freedom

Today, I joined my colleagues, Senator Van De Putte, and Representatives Naishtat, Burnam, and Hodge to push for federal legislation that will provide affordable, quality health care for Texans and Americans.

While we are disappointed that the Governor didn't consider insuring Texas children a priority, the fight for affordable, quality health care for Texans and Americans is far from over. Individuals, businesses, and the market must come together to fill the gap that has left 50 million Americans without healthcare.

If any of these components alone could have solved the problem of the uninsured and underinsured this gap wouldn't exist. I'm surprised at the naïveté of individuals like Senator Cornyn who believe that our nation's health problems can be solved by health clinics.

In June, Rep. Naishtat, and Rep. Chavez traveled with Health Care For America Now (HCAN) to Washington, D.C. to request that members of Congress pass health care reform. I, along with 23 other Texas legislators signed a letter with the Progressive States Network (PSN) and presented it to the White House and Congress, also calling for health care reform.

Today, as state legislators, we joined together to reiterate our support.

"Now that the special session is over, it is a pivotal time to come together and call on our nation's leaders to enact health care reform that includes strong affordability protections and shared responsibility for health care costs," said Rep. Naishtat.

"Americans are faced with astronomical health care costs and are turned away from care that is essential to their health," said Rep. Burnam. "The time to act is now. Texans must have access to affordable quality health care."

"Medical catastrophes are the number one cause of bankruptcies," said Sen. Van de Putte. "A federal health plan will ease the burden on our local governments and require patient responsibility."

I am honored that our nation's leaders have asked us to be part of the solution and help craft a system that will lower costs for businesses while assuring that individuals have quality, affordable health care.

I will keep you updated on this pressing matter.

Special Session a Missed Opportunity to Insure Texas Children

I am beyond disappointed that Governor Perry did not expand the call for the Special Session to include legislation regarding the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). During the special session, I filed House Bill 11 which would have created a CHIP "buy-in" for uninsured children from working families who earn between 200 - 300 percent of federal poverty level. Unfortunately, the Governor once again failed to act and chose to ignore the health of Texas children.

Texas is an embarrassing first in the nation when it comes to children without health insurance. One in four Texas children is uninsured.

HB 11 could have moved quickly through both chambers since the language of the bill was included in both Sen. Averitt's (R-Waco) SB 841 that passed out of the Senate and Rep. Coleman's HB 2962 that passed out of the House during the 81st Regular Session. Additionally, 75 House members sent a letter to the Governor requesting he add CHIP to the Special Session.

The Comptroller had released a revised revenue estimate for the First Called Session of the 81st Legislature, noting that $359.1 million remains un-appropriated and available for general-purpose spending in the 2010 - 11 biennium. Clearly, both the resources and legislative will existed to pass this legislation.

The special session was a missed opportunity to insure 80,000 Texas children. It is inexcusable that the Governor didn't consider the health care of our children a pressing matter. Our children cannot afford to be uninsured any longer.