Healthcare reform in the United States. Both the House and Senate versions of health insurance reform rest upon the following building blocks:

•Insurance reforms to protect consumers from insurance company worst-practices – like denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, capping total coverage, and dropping or watering down coverage when you get sick and need it most
•Consumer protections that will restrict how much of your premium dollars insurance companies can spend on marketing, profits, and salaries
•Creation of a health exchange to increase consumer choice and guarantee coverage
•Affordable health options, with subsidies for working families and a hardship waiver
•Tax credits to help small businesses afford coverage
•Making preventive care completely free – with no co-payments or deductibles
•Lowering the cost of health care for our seniors
•Improving the quality and extending the life of Medicare
•Ensuring that reform is not only fully paid for, but actually significantly reduces the federal deficit