Media
Latest News
Blog Post
February 23, 2010
New reports detailing shocking increases in insurance premiums across the country continue to roll in. Just today, we learned that premiums for individual health insurance plans in Connecticut increased on average more than 20% for 2010. These increases are simply unsustainable. The time for health reform is now.
According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll released today, 58 percent of Americans say they would be disappointed or angry if Congress stopped working on health reform now:
Press Release
February 23, 2010
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, Congressman Peter DeFazio, and Wendell Potter, senior fellow on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy and a former insurance industry executive, held a news conference this afternoon in the Capitol to discuss the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act that will end the unfair anti-trust protection for the health insurance industry.
Blog Post
February 22, 2010
In 2008, credit card issuers imposed $19 billion in penalty fees on families with credit cards---exploiting loopholes in the law to make profits at the expense of responsible credit cardholders with minimal oversight. Last May, the House passed, and the President signed, the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights (or Credit CARD Act) applying common-sense regulations that ban unfair rate increases and forbid abusive fees and penalties.
The Credit CARD Act contains three separate implementation dates, 90 days, 9 months and 15 months after enactment. The first set of consumer protections went into effect last August---requiring 45 days advance notice of all interest rate and fee hikes and statements be mailed 21 days in advance of payment due dates.
Press Release
February 22, 2010
"The President today made available to all Americans the Administration's health insurance reform proposal, which contains positive elements from the House and Senate-passed bills. I look forward to reviewing it with House Members and then joining the President and the Republican leadership at the Blair House meeting on Thursday. This discussion will continue a year-long historic level of transparency and open debate of this crucial reform effort."
Press Release
February 22, 2010
“Today most of the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights will take effect - helping to end the era of unfair penalties and abusive practices by the credit card industry. No longer will America's consumers face credit card industry practices dominated by incomprehensible fine print and hidden fees. No longer will confusing agreements and arbitrary rate increases unfairly punish responsible families and small businesses."
Blog Post
February 22, 2010
This morning, President Obama released his health insurance reform proposal in advance of Thursday's bipartisan meeting on health reform:
The President's proposal on health reform web page»
Speaker Pelosi on the proposal:
Blog Post
February 19, 2010
President Obama's announcement is an encouraging step in the effort to stabilize our nation's housing markets, help unemployed homeowners, and bring relief to many families hardest hit by the recession.
Recognizing that each city and state faces a unique set of challenges, the President's $1.5 billion initiative focuses on local solutions to local problems and rewards the most innovative and effective approaches to help more at-risk families in America stay in their homes.
Blog Post
February 19, 2010
The announcement by Anthem Blue Cross to increase premium rates up to 39% for individual policy holders in California and a new Department of Health and Human Services report detailing the shocking rise in insurance premiums across the nation affecting millions of Americans, underscore the urgent need for health insurance reform. USA Today editorial today:
Press Release
February 19, 2010
“President Obama's announcement is an encouraging step in the effort to stabilize our nation's housing markets, help unemployed homeowners, and bring relief to many families hardest hit by the recession."
Press Release
February 19, 2010
“I applaud the Administration's decision, which will mean much-needed relief to states facing severe budget constraints in light of the tough economic climate. The California Congressional delegation's diligence in raising this issue with HHS has paid dividends for California, which will be rewarded with an additional $680 million, all due to the FMAP increase included in the Recovery Act that we passed a year ago."