On Firedoglake, the news about Rep. Dennis Kuincinich: "Flips to 'Yes' on Health Care Bill, Appears to Get Nothing in Return."
Maybe so, but a rah-rah report out today from the House energy and commerce committee suggests Kucinich's constituents stand to gain quite a bit. His district logged 1,600 bankruptcies related to health costs in 2008. With health reform, Kucinich, a Democrat who'd been opposing the bill from the left, stands to deliver the following in his Ohio district. The report calculates that health reform would:
- "Improve coverage for 362,000 residents with health insurance.
- "Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 163,000 families and 14,000 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
- "Improve Medicare for 106,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
- "Extend coverage to 30,500 uninsured residents.
- "Guarantee that 8,400 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
- "Protect 1,600 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
- "Allow 38,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.
- "Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $101 million annually."
After the jump, the estimated gain in Rep. Bart Stupak's Michigan district.
Stupak, a Democrat and abortion opponent, opposes health reform from the right. His constituents logged 1,100 bankruptcies related to health costs in 2008. The Congressional report estimates that in his district, reform would:- "Improve coverage for 364,000 residents with health insurance.
- "Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 197,000 families and 17,900 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
- "Improve Medicare for 141,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
- "Extend coverage to 44,000 uninsured residents.
- "Guarantee that 10,000 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
- "Protect 1,100 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
- "Allow 50,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.
- "Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 41 community health centers.
- "Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $102 million annually."
