The groups expressing their support include a broad range, including groups representing millions of seniors, organizations representing tens of thousands of doctors, advocacy organizations representing millions of Americans, and groups representing small businesses, consumers, patients, youths, women, and people with disabilities.

The following are excerpts from some of the letters from supporters of the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Key Quotes from Organizations in Support of H.R. 3962

Selected Statements of Support

Statement of Administration Policy - H.R. 3962
November 6, 2009

H.R. 3962 will provide needed insurance reforms for Americans with insurance, expand coverage for those who do not have insurance, lower costs for families and businesses, and begin to reduce the Nation's deficit. It meets the President's criteria for health insurance reform: it assures that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care that is there when they need it and does so without adding a dime to the deficit.

This bill provides the necessary health reforms that the Administration seeks-affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today, and stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do. The Administration appreciates the hard work of the House on this bill, which contributes to transforming the health care system.

"We've read the Affordable Health Care for America Act and we can say with confidence that it meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage."

"We cannot continue to let insurers price older Americans out of the market, just as we cannot stand idle while millions of seniors are forced to choose between their groceries and their prescriptions. AARP is proud to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, and we urge members of the House to pass this critical package in the coming days to help fix our broken health care system."

American Medical Association
November 5, 2009

"[The bill] will deliver on our shared commitment to assure patients have access to care and choice of physicians. ... [Under the bill,] expanded coverage and choice will empower patient and physician decision making. H.R. 3962 is consistent with our principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of physician practice, and universal access."

"On behalf of the American Medical Association, I want to express our support for concurrent passage of both H.R. 3961, the "Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009," and H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for American Act." A successful foundation for health system reform is dependent on House passage of both bills. Together, H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3961 will deliver on our shared commitment to assure that patients have access to care and choice of physicians."

Small Business Majority
November 3, 2009

"We can begin the process of providing small businesses with substantial relief from their current untenable situation by enacting comprehensive healthcare reform this year. It starts with the passage of H.R. 3962."

"The introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act, ... moves us that much closer to the goal of providing high-quality, affordable health care to small businesses, their employees and their families. ... [Recent improvements] further strengthen the legislation's core benefits to small businesses: cost containment, insurance reform, tax credits and a robust, competitive Exchange."

American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
October 29, 2009

"Today's release of a progressive health care reform bill by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi puts America's working families one big step closer to getting quality and affordable health care, and it's a model for fair financing. The leadership in the House has crafted a fiscally responsible bill that will provide coverage to 96 percent of Americans and successfully works to lower costs, increase choice, expand coverage and stop insurance company abuses."

American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association
November 5, 2009

"On behalf of the American Heart Association and its American Stroke Association division, we believe that the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) is a significant step towards meaningful health care reform. ...We are also pleased and supporting of provisions that ensure that patients with pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease and stroke, will no longer be denied insurance or dropped from coverage. This bill also addresses the issue of affordability and protects patients and their families from facing medical bankruptcy."

Fiscal discipline and reducing health costs

Statement of Administration Policy - H.R. 3962
November 6, 2009

"H.R. 3962 will provide needed insurance reforms for Americans with insurance, expand coverage for those who do not have insurance, lower costs for families and businesses, and begin to reduce the Nation's deficit. It meets the President's criteria for health insurance reform: it assures that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care that is there when they need it and does so without adding a dime to the deficit."

"This bill provides the necessary health reforms that the Administration seeks-affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today, and stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do. The Administration appreciates the hard work of the House on this bill, which contributes to transforming the health care system."

"The legislation the House will vote on in the coming days will guarantee security of coverage, limit the costs of care, create incentives for improved quality of care, and set us on the path towards sustainable economic growth. In short, the House health reform legislation takes the steps necessary to promote our economic health."

"The bill . . . takes initial steps to 'bend the cost curve,' and thus might lead to even larger cost savings than official estimates suggest."

American Academy of Actuaries
November 6, 2009

"To this end, H.R. 3962 also includes provisions that would help shift the health care payment and delivery systems from rewarding quantity of care to rewarding quality of care. The legislation includes many cost containment and quality improvement strategies focused on the Medicare program and the public plan option, including provider payment and delivery system reforms that provide incentives for coordinated and cost-effective care. Such a comprehensive and coordinated approach to addressing quality and costs is needed to fundamentally transform the health system to ensure its long-term sustainability. However, acknowledging that the impact on health spending and health outcomes of many potential programs is still unclear, the legislation directs many of these efforts in the form of studies and pilot programs."

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
November 6, 2009

"The comprehensive health reform legislation that House Democratic leaders unveiled on October 29 would make significant progress in three critical areas: expanding health coverage and ensuring that such coverage is affordable, slowing the growth in health care costs, and instituting essential reforms in the health insurance market."

"The bill's cost is more than fully offset; that is, the legislation would reduce budget deficits by $129 billion over ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill's revenues and spending reductions would grow faster than the cost of the coverage provisions, according to CBO, which estimates that the bill would modestly reduce deficits in years after 2019 as well."

"The House health reform bill achieves near-universal coverage and institutes badly needed reforms in the health insurance market without increasing the budget deficit. It produces substantial Medicare savings that would help strengthen that program financially."

Kaiser Permanente
November 5, 2009

Delivery and Payment Reforms for Long-Term Financial Stability

"H.R. 3962 would promote a more rational health care delivery system that focuses on quality over quantity of care and payment reforms that encourage individuals to seek preventive care, systems to better coordinate care and all systems to improve the quality of care. We must establish financial incentives to promote high quality, better coordinated, evidence-based care if there is to be long-term financial sustainability of our health care system. Specifically, we appreciate the inclusion of additional resources for the development of a national quality improvement strategy; the development of a Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research; the creation of pilot programs to develop and test Accountable Care Organizations and Medical Homes and efforts to strengthen the primary care workforce through shifts in reimbursement and training opportunities."

Affordability of Coverage

"The House Leadership has put forth a fiscally responsible bill that is fairly financed and which covers 96 percent of Americans. More importantly, the bill does not attempt to finance reform on the backs of the working middle class, which would be a fatal mistake, as working middle class Americans have seen their wages stagnate even during the go-go years and how face untold years of economic insecurity."

National Education Association (NEA)
November 4, 2009

"We strongly support the provisions in the bill that make health insurance and health care services more affordable. In particular, premium assistance, reduced cost-sharing, and application of an out-of-pocket cap are central to making health care accessible to low and middle income individuals and families."

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME)
October 29, 2009

"AFSCME also strongly commends the bill's approach to financing health care reform. Rather than taxing the health care benefits of middle-class Americans, the legislation asks the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share, as well as indentifies savings within existing programs."

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
October 30, 2009

"SEIU strongly supports this legislation, including affordability credits for low and moderate income families to access the care they need, the public health insurance option to provide more choice and competition in the health insurance market, and the fair and progressive surtax to help pay for health care reform."

Coalition on Human Needs
November 5, 2009

"CHN strongly supports that the legislation is paid for by responsible savings and progressive revenue sources. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the package of revenues and savings included in this legislation will produce net savings which will continue in its second decade of implementation. . . . Every day we delay fixing our broken health care system brings unconscionably high costs - in needless sickness and death and in unsustainable economic burdens. You are fortunate in having this historic opportunity to take our nation to such an important step forward. The Coalition on Human Needs urges you to vote yes."

"The House of Representatives has proven that it is possible to draft a health care reform bill that creates a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in our country. HR 3962 does this through fair financing that does not place an added burden on middle income families."

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
November 6, 2009

"Health care reform is a crucial ingredient in strengthening our country and the economy. The rising cost of health care puts a tremendous strain on families, businesses, state governments, and the federal budget. In addition, millions of Americans are uninsured or are denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. H.R. 3962 recognizes that this situation is unsustainable and offers promising solutions to enhance choice, coverage and competition; provide more affordable insurance plans; spur innovation; and make important investments in America's healthcare system. Finally, the legislation is crafted in a fiscally responsible manner that would not add to the budget deficit."

Consumers

Consumers Union
November 6, 2009

"Consumers Union ... strongly endorses H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. ... In addition to key consumer protections that eliminate current anti-consumer practices like excluding applicants who have pre-existing conditions, the bill makes health insurance more affordable and secure."

"Consumers Union, the nonprofit, independent publisher of Consumer Reports, supports H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act."

"We believe this bill contains workable solutions to the problems that so many Americans face right now - namely, the inability to afford dependable, quality health care. While we anticipate that some reforms will be revised as implementation unfolds, H.R. 3962 is a bill that comprehensively addresses the flaws in the health care system that leaves too many families on the brink of poor health and financial ruin."

"When consumers can compare their insurance plans on an "apples-to-apples" basis, it forces insurers to compete on price and quality. H.R. 3962 not only makes it easier for consumers to compare coverage, but makes more choices available."

American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association
November 5, 2009

"On behalf of the American Heart Association and its American Stroke Association division, we believe that the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) is a significant step towards meaningful health care reform. ...We are also pleased and supporting of provisions that ensure that patients with pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease and stroke, will no longer be denied insurance or dropped from coverage. This bill also addresses the issue of affordability and protects patients and their families from facing medical bankruptcy."

Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
November 5, 2009

"H.R. 3962 will fortify the strength of the Medicaid program and increase Medicaid access. Medicaid is a particularly vital source of care for low-income Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AAs and NHPIs), and women of reproductive age. . . Finally, we are pleased to see that the House bill includes provisions to meaningfully reform the health insurance industry to focus more on patients rather than profits. The House bill bars many common practices within the insurance industry, such as using gender and health status as premium rating factors, as 24% of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women under age 65 are uninsured."

Easter Seals
November 3, 2009

"In particular, Easter Seals is strongly in favor of the proposed changes to the insurance market that would provide guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewal in the individual and small markets as well as prohibiting the use of pre-existing health condition exclusions. These changes would have the effect of opening these markets for people with disabilities to get and keep quality insurance coverage."

Family Voices
November 3, 2009

"Family Voices, a national organization of families with children and youth with special health care needs, commend you on the development of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. We believe that this legislation would make substantial improvements in the health care system for children and youth with special health care needs and their families."

Medicare Rights Center
November 2, 2009

"The Medicare Rights Center, a national nonprofit consumer service organization for people with Medicare, strongly supports the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) as introduced. The bill represents a comprehensive approach to health care reform while making improvements and investments in Medicare."

"In addition, the bill makes a considerable investment in primary and preventive care, exactly the type of care that older adults and people with disabilities with Medicare need in order to be active members in their communities....Also people with Medicare will benefit from provisions that will eliminate the deductible and cost-sharing for preventive care benefits, such as glaucoma screening and diabetes self-management training."

Paralyzed Veterans of America
November 4, 2009

"We are also grateful that the bill will allow veterans, members of the armed forces and their families to have access to the health insurance exchanges. The House leadership listened to the concerns of the veteran's community."

"PVA has always supported measures to ensure that people with disabilities have access to high quality, comprehensive, affordable health care that meets their individual needs and enables them to be healthy, functional, live as independently as possible, and participate in the community. H.R. 3962 goes a long way toward meeting that goal. Many of its provisions take important steps in improving access to quality, affordable health care for people with disabilities and chronic conditions."

Families USA
October 29, 2009

"Families USA, the national voice for health care consumers, is pleased to formally endorse H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The bill will provide America's families with peace of mind by ensuring that affordable, high-quality health coverage and care will not be taken way from them, even when they get sick, have a pre-existing condition or lose their jobs."

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
November 5, 2009

"ACS CAN has reviewed the legislation from the perspective of the cancer patient and survivor and has concluded that it represents an exceptional opportunity to advance our mission of reducing suffering and death from cancer. We believe the bill could transform the nation's health care system in a fundamental way that would begin the process of making adequate and affordable health care insurance accessible to all Americans."

"We believe that a national model can greatly facilitate making quality, affordable health care more uniform across the country over time. We support the subsidies covering individuals and families up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Health insurance is essential to good health, and it is imperative that we not put low level- and middle-income individuals and families in a position where the cost of insurance threatens their financial viability."

"This legislation represents an exceptional opportunity to advance our mission of reducing suffering and death related to cancer. We have the potential to transform our nation's health care system in a fundamental way that begins the process of making adequate and affordable health care accessible to all Americans. ... If enacted, this bill could have immediate and lasting benefits for millions of people with cancer and other life-threatening chronic diseases."

"The Affordable Health Care for America Act includes important provisions that call for the development of new performance measures that will encourage more patient-centered care, including creating accountability for assessing patients' quality of life needs and providing coordinated care planning and communication to ensure that treatment options align with care goals."

The AIDS Institute
November 5, 2009

"First and foremost, the AIDS Institute strongly supports your leadership in addressing health reform and looks forward to passage of a final bill this year. With 46 million people in the United States uninsured and an estimated 50 percent of people with HIV/AIDS in our country not accessing consistent healthcare, your efforts to expand access to affordable health care are extremely important to the Nation and to people living with HIV/AIDS."

AIDS Action
November 4, 2009

"We believe that health care reform is critical to the health of all people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Access to affordable healthcare keeps those people living with HIV from progressing to AIDS. It keeps HIV positive individuals in the workforce longer and extends the life span of many positive individuals."

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
November 3, 2009

"The NAACP strongly supports key provisions in this important legislation as it provides more affordable, quality coverage for all, addresses many of the health care disparities that have plagued our Nation for too long, and expands health insurance coverage choices, including being able to retain one's current coverage, have additional private plan options, and a public health insurance option designed to lower costs and keep insurance companies honest."

The Children's Partnership & Children NOW
November 5, 2009

"H.R. 3962 contains provisions that are critical to providing the children of California and the nation with the care they need to grow up healthy and lead productive lives. H.R. 3962 makes significant progress in expanding access to health coverage and making it affordable for children and families."

Seniors

AARP
November 5, 2009

"We've read the Affordable Health Care for America Act and we can say with confidence that it meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage."

"We cannot continue to let insurers price older Americans out of the market, just as we cannot stand idle while millions of seniors are forced to choose between their groceries and their prescriptions. AARP is proud to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, and we urge members of the House to pass this critical package in the coming days to help fix our broken health care system."

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM)
October 29, 2009

"Contrary to the rhetoric heard from opponents, this bill does not cut Medicare; rather it includes provisions to ensure that we are receiving high-quality care and the best value for our Medicare dollars. We have long advocated for eliminating wasteful spending on overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans which are increasing costs to all Medicare beneficiaries and to the federal government. And we believe that slightly slowing the rate of increase in payments to providers-keeping in mind that they will continue to receive increases each year-can be done in ways that improve care and strengthen Medicare for the future."

Alliance for Retired Americans
November 3, 2009

"This legislation makes important, substantive, and positive changes in the health care needs of older Americans, none more important than Medicare improvements."

"In addition to the Medicare improvements, several other provisions of H.R. 3962 benefit retirees and older Americans. Many alliance members are not yet Medicare eligible and H.R. 3962 helps them as well."

Center for Medicare Advocacy
November 6, 2009

"The Center for Medicare Advocacy supports the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the accompanying Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961). These two pieces of legislation go far in promoting and ensuring for all Americans the peace of mind that was brought to older people and their families with the passage of Medicare in 1965."

Leadership Council of Aging Organizations

"[This bill] will make changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and other long-term supports and services programs that will benefit millions of older beneficiaries and strengthen the future of these programs. ... Provisions such as those that will make prescription drugs more affordable by closing the doughnut hole over time in the Part D prescription drug program, providing discounts on certain drugs when beneficiaries reach the doughnut hole, and allowing the Medicare program to negotiate drug prices on behalf of beneficiaries will positively impact the lives of millions of older adults who currently struggle to pay for their prescription drugs."

Medical Professionals

American Medical Association
November 5, 2009

"[The bill] will deliver on our shared commitment to assure patients have access to care and choice of physicians. ... [Under the bill,] expanded coverage and choice will empower patient and physician decision making. H.R. 3962 is consistent with our principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of physician practice, and universal access."

"On behalf of the American Medical Association, I want to express our support for concurrent passage of both H.R. 3961, the "Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009," and H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for American Act." A successful foundation for health system reform is dependent on House passage of both bills. Together, H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3961 will deliver on our shared commitment to assure that patients have access to care and choice of physicians."

American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association
November 6, 2009

"On behalf of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the more than 300,000 primary care physicians we represent, we would like to express our strong support for the primary care provisions contained in the 'Affordable Health Care for America Act' (H.R. 3962) and the 'Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act' (H.R. 3961). We believe these policies would enhance the primary care physician workforce through innovative changes to the Medicare and Medicaid payment formulas and a focus on patient-centered primary care through the advancement of new delivery models such as the medical home, and adjustments to the graduate medical education system to place greater focus on the training of the next generation of primary care physicians."

"The primary care provisions contained in H.R. 3961 and 3962 offer the most comprehensive and constructive proposals to date to transform the health care delivery system and build a more robust primary care physician workforce."

American Academy of Pediatrics
November 2, 2009

"The Academy supports this legislation. This bill takes significant steps toward achieving the Academy's highest priorities for health reform. These priorities include coverage for all children in the US, age-appropriate benefits in a medical home, and appropriate payment rates to allow access to covered services. These investments go a long way to bending the cost curve in a positive manner over the longer term."

American Nurses Association
November 3, 2009

"ANA commends the many measures in the H.R. 3962 that would bolster the nursing profession, and for its demonstrated commitment to fostering full integration, coordination, and collaboration at all levels among our nation's health care workforce."

American College of Surgeons
November 4, 2009

"In addition, the College supports the goals of H.R. 3962 that collectively expand coverage, promote and incentivize high quality care and help to ensure patient access to surgical care."

Mental Health Liaison Group (Signed by 42 organizations, including the American Psychological Association, National Disability Rights Network, and the Child Welfare League of America)
November 4, 2009

"Enactment of the Affordable Health Care for America Act would make a great difference in the lives of persons with mental disorders. Through research we have an unprecedented arsenal of effective treatments for mental health and emotional disorders. Today, mental disorders are as treatable as other types of medical conditions. These treatments must be made available to all Americans who need them."

"Consumers will also be able to be greatly helped by the bill's caps on premiums and out of pocket spending. Health care professionals will be helped by adequate reimbursement rates, so that there may be sufficient provider participation in plans regulated under the Act."

American Mental Health Counselors Association
October 29, 2009

"The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), the only national professional organization to exclusively represent the interest of licensed mental health counselors, wishes to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962. This legislation promises the elimination of insurance companies' ability to deny Americans coverage as a consequence of their health status, race, occupation, or gender. It also reduces costs and promotes overall health by providing Americans access to preventive health care and wellness programs."

Association of American Medical Colleges
November 2, 2009

"On behalf of America's medical schools, their physician faculty, and teaching hospitals and health systems, we commend the House leadership for moving forward on health care reform legislation that would insure up to 96% of Americans. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and its member institutions continue to believe that the goal of health care reform should be to ensure access to affordable, quality care. Our institutions train the next generation of physicians and other health professionals and we are pleased to see new investments in the physician workforce."

Doctors for America
November 3, 2009

"As doctors and medical students, we see the urgent need to fix our broken health care system first hand everyday which is why a majority of physicians support health reform this year. We are fighting to ensure that all Americans receive access to high quality care - the kind of care that we, as physicians, want for our patients. HR 3962 represents a historic step toward improving the health care system for us and our patients."

American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
November 5, 2009

"We, therefore, offer our support for H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act and H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act. We believe that meaningful health care reform cannot be achieved without a stable Medicare reimbursement system to assure Medicare beneficiary access to high quality care. We appreciate your commitment to the concurrent advancement of H.R. 3961 and H.R. 3962."

The American Gastroenterological Association
November 5, 2009

"On behalf of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), representing over 17,000 physicians and scientists who research, diagnose and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act and H.R. 3962, [the Affordable Health Care for America] Act. The AGA appreciates your leadership and shares in your goal to expand and provide a stable payment foundation for physicians. We believe that passage of both of these bills is critical to achieving meaningful system reform since payment reform is a fundamental component of health care reform."

National Association of Social Workers
November 3, 2009

"HR 3962 is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when Members of Congress work together to do what is best for the people they represent. It provides more affordable, quality coverage for all, calls for shared responsibility by individuals, employers and government, and expands health insurance coverage choices, including being able to retain one's current coverage, having additional private plan options, and offering a public health insurance options designed to lower costs and keep insurance companies accountable."

Patients

Black Women's Health Imperative
November 6, 2009

"The elimination of gender rating will especially advance the health of our communities, as 22 percent of African American women under age 65 are uninsured. Moreover, with studies reporting that black women suffer from high fatality rates due to domestic violence, we are pleased that the House bill specifically prohibits insurers from treating domestic violence as a preexisting condition for the purpose of determining an applicant's eligibility for health insurance coverage."

The Campaign for Mental Health Reform
November 4, 2009

"Significantly, H.R. 3962 will bring health coverage to a large number of Americans with mental health disorders and greatly expand the availability of mental health care to all who need it, truly bringing mental healthcare into the mainstream of our nation's healthcare system."

"On behalf of more than 12 million people living with cancer in the United States, LIVESTRONG urges you to support H.R. 3962 - the Affordable Health Care for America Act. We believe this is a key vote for people affected by cancer."

"H.R. 3962 includes many provisions that will improve the lives of people affected by cancer. The bill prohibits insurance companies from excluding coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions and eliminates annual and lifetime spending limits that can cause cancer patients to run out of insurance benefits during treatment. The legislation also provides access to proven cancer screening methods for millions of Americans."

"Congress has an opportunity to change the way that our country is fighting cancer by passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act. LIVESTRONG urges you to vote in support of this legislation."

Mental Health America
November 4, 2009

"This bill would make ground-breaking steps to provide health care benefits to almost all of those Americans who are currently uninsured. Moreover, it also includes a number of provisions that would significantly improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment."

National Alliance on Mental Illness
November 4, 2009

"NAMI supports the full range of insurance market reforms included in HR 3962. These changes are critically important to people living with serious mental illness excluded from coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions."

National Breast Cancer Coalition
November 4, 2009

"The Affordable Health Choices for America Act of 2009 includes components that meet or come close to many elements of the NBCC Framework for a Health Care System Guaranteeing Access to Quality Health Care for All, including provisions that provide guaranteed access to quality health coverage that includes a basic set of comprehensive benefits, strive to make health care affordable for all individuals, and create a system that is accountable and transparent."

Prevention and Public Health

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
November 5, 2009

"Community-based efforts to reduce and prevent tobacco use will benefit from the development of a national prevention strategy and new funding available through the Public Health Investment Fund in H.R. 3962. . . . We are pleased with this legislation's emphasis on prevention and its recognition that prevention is an essential element of health reform. When applied to tobacco, the clinical- and community-based prevention provisions in the bill will help tobacco users quit and prevent others from beginning to use these deadly products."

Partnership for Prevention
November 6, 2009

"A national investment in community prevention is money well spent. The dedication fund created by HR 3962 would support community prevention at levels sufficient to address national need. The passage of this important legislation will be an important and historic signal by the Congress that REAL health reform starts with prevention."

"We are very pleased that H.R. 3962 addresses many of the critical changes we believe are needed to improve the public's health and specifically, to start moving from a system that focuses on treating the sick to one that focuses on keeping people healthy."

Other

U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce
November 3, 2009

"We are pleased that H.R. 3962 includes the key elements our members want and need. We are all stakeholders in the reform of our healthcare system. Working together through shared responsibility we will all achieve positive outcomes that will serve to invigorate small businesses and provide protection, stability, and quality of life for all Americans."

Small Business Majority
November 3, 2009

"We can begin the process of providing small businesses with substantial relief from their current untenable situation by enacting comprehensive healthcare reform this year. It starts with the passage of H.R. 3962."

"The introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act, ... moves us that much closer to the goal of providing high-quality, affordable health care to small businesses, their employees and their families. ... [Recent improvements] further strengthen the legislation's core benefits to small businesses: cost containment, insurance reform, tax credits and a robust, competitive Exchange."

Main Street Alliance
November 2, 2009

"Following the work of the three House committees with jurisdiction over the many aspects of health reform, this historic legislation meets the objectives of Main Street small business owners in reforming our nation's health care system: giving small employers real choices in affordable health coverage including the option of a competitive public health insurance plan."

"By taking crucial steps toward providing more affordable options for quality health coverage, we are confident that this legislation will help small businesses become more competitive by giving them greater control over one of the most costly and unpredictable aspects of doing business."

American Diabetes Association

"We greatly appreciate that your bill gives employers the tools they need to help their employees lead healthier lives by creating a grant program to implement effective workplace wellness programs. A focus on prevention is an essential tenet of this legislation that allows you not only to ensure that Americans have access to health coverage when they get sick, but to improve our system in a way that helps people live healthier lifestyles and prevent chronic disease and diabetes."

"The American Diabetes Association strongly supports H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. We are pleased that this landmark legislation will make health care more accessible to the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured and underinsured, including those with diabetes who have been denied coverage due to their pre-existing condition."

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
November 5, 2009

"We strongly support H.R. 3962's inclusion of $750 million for over five years in new guaranteed funding for voluntary, evidence-based early childhood home visiting programs, as well as language allowing optional coverage of evidence-based nurse home visiting services under Medicaid. Evidence-based home visiting is a proven investment that helps improve health outcomes in kids, helps cut child abuse and neglect, and reduces crime."

"By requiring states to suspend-rather than terminate-Medicaid eligibility for incarcerated youth, H.R. 3962 will ensure juveniles get access to those programs during the critical period when it is most important that they get therapeutic interventions: immediately upon their release."

"On behalf of law enforcement leaders who have seen too many kids grow up to become criminals, we urge you to support H.R. 3962 and the life-saving and money-saving investments that will help at-risk kids and families nationwide, save taxpayer dollars, and make our communities safer for years to come."

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
November 6, 2009

"Every American and all New Yorkers have a stake in the health care reform debate, and I urge Members of Congress to support the bill. I strongly support, and am hopeful the final legislation will include, a meaningful public health insurance option for New Yorkers. I'm committed to working with New York's delegation in the House and Senate to ensure we pass a final health care reform bill that meets the needs of New Yorkers and Americans."

"This is an historic opportunity to address the nation's health care crisis, and the Affordable Health Care Act for America of 2009 is an important step towards seizing that opportunity."

"Your bill offers all of these major elements, and gives close attention to the successful operation of a health care system as a public good rather than an increasingly expensive profit center."