House Proceeding 03-23-10 on Mar 23rd, 2010 :: 2:32:00 to 2:37:20
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2:31:47 to 2:32:09( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: and that will help every american that has a private insurance policy, whether you're in a group or you're in an individual policy. an extraordinary important reform that i would have loved to have had a law like that in california during my days as insurance commissior. we had to use other ways. contractual ways, we didn't have the law, we didn't have the

2:32:00 to 2:37:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Diane E. Watson

2:32:10 to 2:32:31( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: power that is now given to the american people to force the insurance companies to behave. ms. watson: you know, what we failed to do, congressman, was emphasize this really is a health insurance reform. mr. garamendi: yes. ms. watson: too many people think that we'reoing to change

2:32:32 to 2:32:52( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: the way health is delivered. and i say to people when i have town halls, how many of you have insurance? and the hands go up. how many of you like your insurance? and the hands come down. i said, well, keep your hand up if you like your insurance. if you like it, keep it.

2:32:53 to 2:33:14( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: mr. garamendi: exactly. ms. watson: if you don't like it and it'sot meeting the needs of your -- yourself and your loved ones, then you can go and shop around and find an insurance that is affordable. but you know what makes me just delighted tonight? and that is we have prevention written into this law.

2:33:15 to 2:33:36( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: isn't it wonderful if you could go and check so you don't have breast cancer? that's one of the penalties i guess for being a woman. but, you know, men can get breast cancer. and you were in the legislature in california when we discovered in 1980 that breast cancer research was done on men.

2:33:37 to 2:33:57( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: and the group of us women got together and said, we're not going to vote for the budget unless you have $28 million in there to do research on breast cancer. . i think you remember that. .

2:33:58 to 2:34:19( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: mr. garamendi: the insurance industry has harmed us. it was like we were thrown to the sharks. we will ha a beter option in the purchase of insurance in the days ahead. in fact, for those people in the 50-65 age group who have pre-existing conditions, there

2:34:20 to 2:34:41( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: is an insurance exchange that is immediately available to them. they will be part of a group, a high-risk group and wil be able to get insurance imediately. i think it's within 90 days, they will be able to aply for that coverage. they aren't old enough for medicare. they are probably unemployable

2:34:42 to 2:35:02( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: because they have a pre-existing conditions and employers won't hire them because they know they won'be insureable. but this provides a mechanism for those people in that category to get insurance in a high-risk pool that is paid for by the federal government.

2:35:03 to 2:35:24( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: and that wil be available this year, right away. ms. watson: you know if i could describe some of the other preventative services that will help people keep teir stress level down because they feel they have a condition, but they don't have insurance.

2:35:25 to 2:35:45( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: and when you go to get help, they say, what's your insurance? i don't have one. well,ion if i can help you here -- well, i don't know if i can help you here. go to the county hospital. people have to understand, when you have an organized society, everyone has to pay.

2:35:46 to 2:36:08( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: we are only as strong as our weakest link. and if we have comunities where everyone is il in that community, can we be a strong nation? we are going around the globe and fighting three wars at the current time or 2 1/2, and we are saying do it our wy.

2:36:09 to 2:36:34( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: well, i tell you, congressman garamendi, i have actually felt shame in the last three our four days. the people that were out on the stets, taunting, showing hatred, calling people names, when another member destroyed

2:36:36 to 2:36:56( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: our decorum saying baby killer and someone is apologizing for him. we are trying to show ourselves as a strong nation and we have values and we care about people. but yet we spit on them and call them names. we make fun of them in some way or another. sometimes, it's a mental

2:36:57 to 2:37:17( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: condition that has not been treated. mr. garamendi: mental health and addition health is included in the coverage in the years ahead. no longer wil there be a division. mental health will be treated the same as the classic physical health insurance.

2:37:18 to 2:37:20( Edit History Discussion )

Diane E. Watson: incredibly important part of this legislation.