health care reform

In her first major vote this week, Congresswoman Nan Hayworth will join with national Republican leaders to remove essential health care benefits and cancel consumer protections to individuals and families in the Hudson Valley. Neither the Congresswoman nor her friends in the national Republican party believe that this vote will result in the actual repeal of health care reform, so we ask the simple question: why is Congresswoman Hayworth putting politics above creating jobs in our district?

This political stunt aside - if enacted, the consequences of Congresswoman Hayworth’s first major vote couldn’t be more serious for our families. Indeed, if Congresswoman Hayworth and the insurance companies win this fight to rollback protections for patients, insurance companies would gain even stronger control over health care.

Repeal of health care reform would allow insurance companies to discriminate against Americans—even children—with pre-existing conditions, and more easily rescind policies once insured individuals become sick. Protections for women against “gender rating”, which results in women either being denied insurance or having to pay higher premiums, would be thrown out. In some instances, pregnancy could even be deemed a pre-existing condition. Young adults would no longer be able to obtain coverage on their parent’s plans after they finish college and seniors would lose expanded prescription drug coverage. Insurance premiums would increase at an even faster pace than they are now.

It is important that we let Congresswoman Hayworth know that she was elected to address the problems of the Hudson Valley, not waste her vote and taxpayer resources on political stunts. In a time when jobs should be the number one concern of our elected officials, Congresswoman Hayworth is choosing to make her very first vote a wasted one that will lead to nowhere.

• take19's blog

by Flo Greenwood

While John Hall stayed home in his district last night, donating his time and talents to save the Beacon Theater, Nan Hayworth was living the high life out of State, partying at her fundraiser thrown by Hedge Fund Kings Steven Shapiro and Charlie Parkhurst in tony Greenwich, CT.

• Flo Greenwood's blog