Program that will provide workers with health security

This idea of a universal healthcare system has never been tried in our country and we've never been very successful. It was not even attempted. It was not even introduced. And this idea that people actually wanted to have a socialized health care system was never, never considered by this Congress. We haven't brought it up. We haven't tried it in the US. I mean, for a great many things that we've been successful at, it's simply done nothing to increase our revenues. If you look at just how well the Democratic and Republican parties have come together, you have to look at just a few things. The last two years, we did a bunch of crazy things. We raised the debt -- the debt was around $400 billion under Reagan. What we've done is we have dramatically lowered the debt. We've gotten the debt out of record lows as measured by the Federal Reserve. In the short run, we've given credit to President Bush's stimulus package. The bill could set several major goals in the health care sector as it's passed by Congress, such as ensuring that insurers can offer premium subsidies that pay for the costs they incur when patients use health services or are enrolled in new plans. The House bill will also allow for insurance plans built by the private sector that provide high-quality insurance to cover more people than plans of a national corporation. The Senate bill aims to make coverage of health providers more available to high-income populations where those with an income above $40,000 would be able to buy it and get insurance. For example, the federal bill does not allow insurance companies to deduct the cost of a treatment for patients in the individual marketplace or for a disease, but instead makes the deductibility a requirement for coverage that could be based on the patient's income. In short, health care is not just about providing free access to health care for folks who can't afford what they need. It's about providing comprehensive health care that is affordable, affordable for all; and affordable, affordable through direct investment in our common health care needs. The Affordable Care Act was written in such a way -- by Republicans and President Franklin D. Roosevelt -- that it's far more important than we now realize. This is why conservatives should continue to be as concerned about what some have claimed happened before, to keep it politically expedient.