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The rising cost of health care is straining the wallets of American families, the balance sheets of our businesses, and the long term health of our federal budget. Two out of three personal bankruptcies in 2007 were a result of medical debt and last year, more than half of Americans postponed medical care or skipped their medications because they couldn't afford it. The broken health care system will cost us as much as $248 billion in lost productivity this year alone and providing health care for the uninsured costs insured American families $100 billion every year. These are just some of the reasons that explain why a poll released yesterday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows nearly eight in ten Americans view health reform as key to addressing the economy (79%).

This evening, Speaker Pelosi held a brief press availability followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Republic of India. Speaker Pelosi extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of Congress during a future visit to the United States.

Their remarks:

A new Gallup poll released today underscores the urgent need for comprehensive health insurance reform. Americans surveyed overwhelmingly identified access to care as the 'most urgent health care problem' facing the U.S. today for the third straight year in a row (32%). High health care costs were also cited as a pressing problem -- ranking second on the list with 18%.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act passed by the House improves access to care:

“I want to join you in acknowledging the important work that USO has done for our troops, for our men and women in uniform, and for when they come home. This event reflects the mission of the USO to bring our troops a little closer to home wherever they are, to boost the morale of our service members and to strengthen the bonds between our armed forces and the American people."

“I want to join you in acknowledging the important work that USO has done for our troops, for our men and women in uniform, and for when they come home. This event reflects the mission of the USO to bring our troops a little closer to home wherever they are, to boost the morale of our service members and to strengthen the bonds between our armed forces and the American people."

Today, the House is debating the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (HR 3961), companion legislation to the Affordable Health Care for America Act which will permanently reform the way Medicare pays physicians. The bill prevents a 21% cut in Medicare physician payment rates scheduled for January 2010 instead of temporarily overriding the cut as Congress has done six times before.