With a record number of Americans struggling to afford insurance and with health care reform at the top of President-elect Obama’s agenda, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today enthusiastically accepted a new assignment on the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee.

“I am honored and excited to become a member of the Health Subcommittee during such a critical time in the history of our nation,” stated Pascrell.  “Health care is inextricably linked to the American economy and both stand at a tipping point that demands bold and immediate action in Congress.  With health care reform a top priority on President-elect Obama’s agenda, Congress has a unique opportunity to reinvigorate the economy by lifting the incredible burden that health care costs have placed on American families.”

Pascrell continued, “It will be my goal to reduce the record number of uninsured and shrink the number of Americans who are forced to decide between paying the medical bill or the mortgage each month.  Families shouldn’t have to swipe a credit card whenever its time to refill a prescription or visit the doctor.  When fewer families rely on credit to pay medical bills, fewer families will enter into bankruptcy or foreclose on their homes.  Investing in health care is a common sense approach that will relieve the middle class and pull America out of recession.”

Pascrell’s immediate Health Subcommittee priorities will be focused on using the economic recovery bill as a vehicle to provide Medicaid assistance for states, advance health information technology (HIT) to reduce health care costs, and guarantee insurance opportunities for the newly unemployed and recently retired workers who have yet to reach the age for Medicare eligibility.

With the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) set to expire on March 31, 2009, Pascrell will play an intimate role in crafting a responsible way to finance an expansion of the program so that high cost-of-living states like New Jersey can insure more middle class families.  SCHIP legislation may be considered in the House of Representatives as early as next week.

“There is no question that the SCHIP program needs to be expanded to meet the needs of more middle class families in high cost-of-living states like New Jersey,” stated Pascrell.  “Too many families are slipping through the cracks and too little is being done to assist them.  The cost of paying for the uninsured far exceeds the cost of expanding the SCHIP program.  I look forward to working with the subcommittee in a fiscally responsible way to offset any added costs that come with expanding SCHIP.”

As a member of the Health Subcommittee, Pascrell will also serve as a strong advocate for America’s health workforce.  Out of concern for an impending shortage of physicians prepared to care for the aging baby boomer generation and the struggles of our nation’s teaching hospitals, Pascrell introduced legislation to improve physician training payments under Medicare in 2008, and plans to reintroduce the legislation in the current session of Congress.  The measure would promote physician training by bringing fairness to Medicare graduate medical education payments.

“Training a strong corps of health care workers at teaching hospitals like St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center is an easy way to create jobs and the only way to provide a large population of aging Americans with the quality care necessary to live in good health long after retirement.”

“Whether the issue is America’s health care workforce, hospital infrastructure or insurance accessibility, I am committed to finding new and innovative ways to reduce costs and expand health care accessibility.  Congress has the will to move quickly with President-elect Obama away from the broken model set up by the Bush administration and towards a new universal system that will guarantee health care opportunities for every American,” concluded Pascrell.

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