Virginia Doctors Praise Webb, Warner for Health Reform Efforts

Courtesy of Doctors for America:

Today, Doctors for America’s members in Virginia praised the work of Senator Webb and Senator Warner in addressing the needs of families in the health reform bill and the cost concerns surrounding the reform effort.

“Virginians should be proud of their Senators’ leadership in advancing a health reform bill that not only expands affordable coverage for children and families across the Commonwealth, it also reduces the deficit and controls costs for future generations,” said Dr. Chris Lillis of Fredericksburg. “As a physician, I know this bill will not fix everything, but it is an important step to help my patients get access to the quality care they need.”

Among the reasons Doctors for America supports the Senate bill moving is the expansion of insurance coverage, which means 94 percent of Americans will have health insurance within their reach because substantial subsidies to help make coverage more affordable for our patients. The bill will also prevent insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, dropping individuals who become ill and imposing caps on health care spending. This means more families in the Commonwealth will have access to the care they desperately need.

The bill’s marked improvements on controlling health care costs are due in part to an amendment submitted by Senator Warner. The amendment was included in the final health reform package, which will reduce the federal deficit by an estimated $130 billion over the next 10 years.

Doctors for America is a grassroots group of over 16,000 physicians with a presence in all fifty states committed to passing meaningful health reform legislation. The group works to convey the ideas and experiences of physicians in order to achieve reform that provides high quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.