Congressman Howard Berman :: Representing the 28th District of California

Text Size: A A A

Congressman Berman speaks at the groundbreaking for the 405 freeway northbound carpool lane as Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and California Governor Schwarzenegger look on. The groundbreaking is the culmination of years of work by Rep. Berman, who obtained significant federal funding for this project, which is critical to relieving congestion on the 405.

How can I help?

If you are a constituent of the 28th Congressional District of California, our office can assist you with matters involving Federal agencies. We also provide for visitors to Washington, DC, and can arrange to have a flag flown for you over the U.S. Capitol building.

GovBenefits.gov

If you are in need of government assistance, but are unsure where to go for information on how to apply, Govbenefits.gov may be the answer. It reduces the amount of research needed to take advantage of government benefits programs by providing information only on those programs most likely to benefit each individual.

Constituents complete a confidential questionnaire and Govebenefits.gov matches their request with the appropriate benefit programs, and provides application information. It contains a wide variety of information on such topics as Medicaid/Medicare, small business loans, scholarships, and disaster relief, to name a few.

Health Care Reform

America's Affordable Health Choices Act - Quality Affordable Health Care

Historic Health Insurance Reform Bill Passes House of Representatives

Many of you have contacted me to share your thoughts on health insurance reform. I voted for the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, legislation that passed the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009 by a vote of 220-215. This historic legislation will make drastically-needed reforms to our nation's broken health care system. Despite spending nearly twice as much on health insurance as other industrialized countries, 46 million Americans remain uninsured. This contributes to over 18,000 deaths and costs our economy as much as $200 billion per year due to poor health and shorter lifespan. We cannot allow this to continue.

H.R. 3962 will expand coverage by creating a public option insurance plan; prohibit all health insurance companies from discriminating based on patients' preexisting conditions; eliminate lifetime caps on benefit spending; and address disparities for ethnic minorities, women, children, and the poor. This bill will increase choice by allowing consumers and employers to shop for their preferred health plan, but also allows everyone who is satisfied with his or her current coverage to keep it. It will also reduce consumers' costs by focusing on prevention; creating a cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses; and eliminating the Medicare prescription drug coverage "doughnut hole." I am pleased that this bill will not be paid for through an excise tax on the value of employer-provided health benefits. The bill has support from a broad range of stakeholders, including the American Medical Association and the AARP. Throughout my career in Congress, I have supported expanding access to health insurance coverage, and I am pleased that the House has taken action on major reform." Health insurance reform legislation is now being considered by the Senate.