House vote expected tomorrow on health reform bill HR 3962

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on health care reform bill HR 3962 over the weekend. Please call your representative today or first thing tomorrow morning.

To refresh your memory, the bill being considered in the House:

• Creates an Exchange where individuals and small businesses can purchase health care
• Gives tax credits to those in the Exchange to help them afford coverage
• Includes a national public health insurance option in the Exchange to keep the insurance industry honest and lower prices
• Strengthens employer-based coverage and asks employers to provide good coverage for their employees
• Regulates all insurance plans to outlaw denials for pre-existing conditions, charging more if you're a woman, and a host of other bad practices
• Strengthens Medicare and fully closes the Medicare Part D donut hole over time
• Provides access to coverage for those uninsured in the interim before the entire program is up and running

It may not be the bill some of us expected when we voted for real reform, but in my opinion it is a great start.