John Rother Video: Health Care Consumer Protection

Patients would no longer be excluded from coverage based on illness or risk of illness.

Source: AARP.org | 2009-08-28

In this video, AARP's Policy Director John Rother explains that a major reason for health-care reform is the need to extend health coverage to all Americans. Currently, health insurers pick and choose who to cover, and this leaves many of the neediest people without care.

Health-care reform would protect against exclusion from coverage based on illness or risk of illness.


Here is a transcript of the video:

Hello I'm John Rother with AARP.

There's been a lot of rumors about health care reform.

But not enough accurate talk about how Americans would benefit.

Truth is there would be great benefits for millions of people of all ages.

With common sense, we could actually improve care while containing costs that are rising at such a terrible rate.

Health reform is an opportunity to make smart savings that will save taxpayers’ money and strengthen Medicare, without taking away benefits.

I want to focus on one of the major reasons for health care reform:

It will mean vital protections for American consumers.

For all of us.

People are losing employer coverage at the rate of more than 14,000 a day.

Every day.

When that happens, you and your family are at the mercy of the individual insurance market, which makes a science out of covering people they don’t think will get sick – and tries to avoid everyone who might actually need insurance.

At AARP we don’t believe that insurance companies should be able to pick and choose who they protect.

They shouldn’t be able to reject you or charge a sky-high premium because you once got sick – or may one day.

They shouldn’t be able to gouge you because you’re getting older.

We believe that everyone has a right to affordable health care.

Dealing with illness is hard enough. It should not mean a trip to the poorhouse.

Health care reform would protect middle class families from these unfair risks.

It would prohibit discrimination by insurance companies.

It would keep health care affordable.

It would give you and your family stable coverage you can count on.

That’s whether you lose your job, you move, you get sick, or your employer cancels insurance benefits.

You deserve these protections.

They are central to what health reform is all about.