Cities and metropolitan areas may benefit from affordable healthcare reform

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Urban Caucus, issues the following statement on the eve of Saturday's scheduled vote on H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act:

"We stand on the threshold of history. Real, affordable healthcare reform will have a far-reaching impact on our nation and especially on those who live in our cities and great metropolitan areas.

"In these cities, residents live within sight of high-quality medical facilities and world-class providers whose care they cannot afford. Our cities host many of the teaching hospitals, medical research facilities and laboratories of innovation which make American medicine the envy of the world.

"Overall, however, in terms of quality and access for far too many Americans, our healthcare system ranks well below that of many other nations. H.R. 3962 helps to address these challenges, making healthcare affordable, reducing uncompensated care and emergency department misuse and encouraging creativity in the provision of and compensation for care and disease prevention.

"Tens of millions of underinsured and uninsured Americans will get the kind of health insurance coverage they deserve and, for far too long, have been denied. The middle class families, the underserved, low income and minority residents of our metropolitan areas are the true winners in H.R. 3962. So is our budget -- this is win-win legislation, lowering the deficit while pointing toward a healthier America, with healthier cities ready to take on the economic and social challenges of the 21st Century."