Bill will save lives, save money and save Medicare

November 21, 2009

Washington, D.C. – More than half a million uninsured Nevadans could receive health insurance under the reform bill introduced this week by Nevada Senator Harry Reid.  That is just one of the many benefits Nevada stands to gain according to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will further benefit Nevadans and Nevada businesses by lowering the cost of health care, eliminating the waste of taxpayer dollars, and reducing the federal deficit by $130 billion over the next 10 years.

“This bill was drafted with the goal of addressing one of the biggest challenges facing Nevada,” Reid said.  “This bill will strengthen Medicare for Nevada seniors, provide tax credits for small businesses to help them provide health care to their employees, and finally make health care affordable for the hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who currently have no insurance.”

This is what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act means for Nevadans:

• 518,000 residents who do not currently have insurance and 132,000 residents who have non-group insurance could get affordable coverage through the health insurance Exchange.
• 311,000 residents could qualify for premium tax credits to help them purchase health coverage.
• 328,000 seniors would receive free preventive services.
• 58,200 seniors would have their brand-name drug costs in the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” halved.
• 24,000 small businesses could be helped by a small business tax credit to make premiums more affordable.
  

To read more about how this bill will benefit Nevada, please visit this website: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/statehealthreform/nevada.html