Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Clinton Campaign Announces "New Hampshire Impact Report" of Hillary's New Health Care Plan

Hillary's American Health Choices Plan will cover 150,000 uninsured Granite Staters; Save Average Families $2,200 a Year

MANCHESTER, NH - Today, the NH for Hillary campaign released a report that documents how Hillary Clinton's American Health Choices Plan would affect New Hampshire residents.

"Families across New Hampshire - and the rest of the country - are suffering under the burdens of a health care system where they cannot afford insurance," said Senator Clinton. "Even if they can afford it, insurance companies routinely withhold payment for necessary treatments and health care. My plan puts consumers in the driver's seat."

Under Senator Clinton's plan, the 150,000 New Hampshire residents who have no health insurance-including 19,000 children-will finally receive quality, affordable healthcare. New Hampshire has seen a 51 percent increase in the number of uninsured since President Bush took office. [Census, 2007]. Senator Clinton's plan will help reverse this trend by providing new refundable tax credits to help cover the cost of high-quality health coverage for all New Hampshire residents. Those credits will guarantee that securing quality health care never becomes a crushing burden for New Hampshire families, by guaranteeing that premiums never rise above a certain percentage of family income.

Jackie and Chuck Rossier of Merrimack have struggled with personal health issues for many years while battling insurance companies and hospitals over coverage and quality care. They have resorted to paying medical expenses with a credit card, exceeding $9,000 in 2005. They are supporting Hillary Clinton. "We strongly believe that she will be able to deliver affordable healthcare to everyone," said Chuck.

All New Hampshire residents will benefit from lower costs and improved quality under Senator Clinton's plan. Like families across the country, New Hampshire residents have been squeezed by skyrocketing health costs-family premiums are up 53 percent since 2000. [HHS, 2006]. According to a recent estimate by the Business Roundtable, AARP and SEIU, Senator Clinton's plan to institute a paperless health information technology system could save $165 billion per year-or $2,200 for a typical family.

"Hillary has shown that healthcare is a very important issue to her, and her focus is genuine," said Dr. Stuart Glassman of Bedford, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth College Medical School. "I work with veterans and persons with disabilities, and she has a good understanding of the needs of people who are at a disadvantage."

Under this plan, all Americans can keep their current insurance, choose a new private plan or take part in a public plan like Medicare. Insurance will be portable and safe from discrimination on the basis of chronic or pre-existing conditions. For more information about Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan, please visit www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcare.

New Hampshire's Health Choices: Hillary Clinton's Plan to Ensure Affordable, Quality Health care for All New Hampshire Residents

On Monday, September 17, Hillary Clinton unveiled the third part of her plan to ensure that all Americans have affordable, quality health insurance. Her American Health Choices Plan will provide quality, affordable healthcare to all Americans - including the 150,000 uninsured New Hampshire residents and the tens of thousands of New Hampshire workers with coverage who fear they could be one pink slip away from losing their health coverage. [US Census, 2007] For New Hampshire residents with health insurance, the plan builds on the current system to give businesses and their employees greater choice of health plans - including keeping the one they have - while lowering cost and improving quality.

Quality, Affordable Coverage for ALL New Hampshire Workers and Families

The American Health Choices Plan will ensure quality, affordable health care for all Americans by lowering costs, improving quality, and providing new choices for health coverage:

• If you are one of the 910,000 New Hampshire residents that are currently covered by an employer-sponsored or individual plan, Senator Clinton's plan provides you with flexibility and choice-you can keep the plan that you have, you can choose from a menu of quality private plans just like those offered to Members of Congress, or you can opt for a public plan option similar to Medicare. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].
• If you are one of the 150,000 New Hampshire residents that have no health insurance-including 19,000 children -Senator Clinton's plan will finally ensure that you can get quality, affordable health care. New Hampshire has seen a 51% increase in the number of uninsured since President Bush took office. [Census, 2007]. Senator Clinton's plan will help reverse this trend by providing new refundable tax credits to help cover the cost of high-quality health coverage for all New Hampshire residents. Those credits will guarantee that securing quality health care never becomes a crushing burden for New Hampshire families, by guaranteeing that premiums never rise above a certain percentage of family income.
  
  • Universal, Affordable Coverage is Particularly Important for North Country Counties: Rural areas in New Hampshire, particularly the North Country, have higher uninsured rates due to low population density and poverty. [NH Department of Health and Human Services, 2002]
    

    County	% Uninsured
    Carroll	17%
    Sullivan	12.50%
    Grafton	11.80%
    Belknap	11.50%
    Coos	11.20%
    Strafford	10%
    Merrimack	9%
    Cheshire	7.90%
    Hillsborough	6.50%
    Rockingham	5.90%

  
  

• If you are one of the 169,000 New Hampshire seniors on Medicare, Senator Clinton's plan will retain your coverage while making prescription drugs more affordable and easier to obtain. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].
• If you are one of the 83,000 New Hampshire residents receiving public insurance, Senator Clinton's plan will fix the holes in the safety net to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive affordable, quality care. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].

Lower Costs and Greater Security for New Hampshire Families

All New Hampshire residents will benefit from lower costs and greater security under Senator Clinton's plan. Like families across the country, New Hampshire residents have been squeezed by skyrocketing health costs-family premiums are up 53% since 2000. [HHS, 2006]. Senator Clinton has a comprehensive plan to reduce health care costs by modernizing our healthcare infrastructure that will result in tangible savings for New Hampshire families. According to a recent estimate by the Business Roundtable, AARP and SEIU, Senator Clinton's plan to institute a paperless health information technology system could save $165 billion per year-or $2,200 for a typical family.

In addition, Senator Clinton will lower costs and increase security by putting an end to insurance company discrimination. Today in America, insurance companies spend tens of billions of dollars per year figuring out how to avoid costly beneficiaries. Senator Clinton's plan creates new standards that all insurers must follow to ensure that no American is ever again discriminated against by being denied coverage, refused renewal of an insurance policy, unfairly priced out of the market, or charged excessive insurance premiums. Health plans will compete on cost and quality rather than avoiding patients who need insurance the most-ending discrimination and putting money in families' wallets.

Lower Costs and Increased Competitiveness for New Hampshire Businesses

Senator Clinton recognizes that rising health care costs are affecting the ability of New Hampshire businesses to compete in the global marketplace and create good, high-paying jobs here in the U.S. Her American Health Choices Plan makes health care more affordable for businesses by ending cost-shifting, increasing insurance options, providing relief for retiree health care costs, and by assuring quality and value in our health care system.

• Lower Costs and Shared Responsibility for New Hampshire's Large Employers: Senator Clinton's American Health Choices Plan makes health care more affordable for businesses by ending cost-shifting, increasing insurance options, and assuring quality and value in our health care system. Since every American will have health insurance coverage under the plan, businesses will no longer be required to pay the hidden health care "tax" of financing health care services to the uninsured. In addition, firms will have more options-they may continue providing health care coverage through existing arrangements, or may purchase coverage for employees through the new Health Choices Menu. In return, the plan will require large firms to provide health insurance or contribute to the cost of the system.
• New Tax Credit for New Hampshire Small Businesses: Recognizing that small businesses are a driving force in new job creation, the Clinton plan provides financial incentives for small businesses to purchase health insurance coverage for their employees. Many small businesses in New Hampshire are doing their part-6 in 10 provide healthcare coverage for their employees, which is above the national average. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006] Yet health premiums for New Hampshire small businesses are growing at a particularly alarming rate-up 72% since 2000. [HHS, 2006]. The American Health Choices Plan recognizes the pressure these small businesses face, and provides a new tax credit to help offset the cost of providing coverage. For the 60% of small firms that currently offer coverage, the new tax credit will help them continue coverage, and for the 40% who don't, the credit will make it more attractive than ever before to provide healthcare for their employees.
• Retiree Health Legacy Initiative: For employers with workforces that face unusually high health care costs due to a high ratio of retirees, the American Health Choices Plan will provide a tax credit for qualifying private and public retiree health plans to offset a significant portion of catastrophic expenditures that exceed a certain threshold.