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B’nai B’rith lauds health-care reform bill

By Eric Fingerhut · November 9, 2009

Like the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, B'nai B'rith International is lauding the House of Representatives' passage of a health-care reform bill this weekend.

"The House measure creates insurance competition in markets where none currently exists and helps ensure costs are affordable and insurance rules are fair," said the group in a statement. The full release is after the jump:

B’nai B’rith International, a longtime advocate of comprehensive healthcare reform, commends the U.S. House of Representatives for passing healthcare reform legislation. This is a major step toward securing affordable healthcare for all Americans.

The issue of healthcare reform is perhaps more vital than ever as the job market continues to struggle and more and more Americans are at risk of losing their employer-sponsored health insurance. It is nearly impossible for far too many Americans to afford insurance on the individual market.

The House measure creates insurance competition in markets where none currently exists and helps ensure costs are affordable and insurance rules are fair.

B’nai B’rith President Moishe Smith sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prior to the vote, conveying strong support for the legislation. In the letter, Smith noted, “The work that has been done toward healthcare reform during this Congress has led to many substantial beneficiary improvements and protections that are very important to Medicare eligible seniors and their families.” Smith added, “We also support your efforts to rein in costs through eliminating wasteful spending. We do not believe that this bill cuts Medicare. It strives to pay providers appropriately for services and rewards high-quality care.”

B’nai B’rith urges the Senate to bring its version of healthcare reform to a vote soon.