WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaiçi, released the following statement after the Senate’s approval of H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, by a vote of 60-39.
Inouye voted in favor of the bill.
“I am pleased that this bill will extend basic health-care to more than 30 million Americans who were previously unable to afford the costs associated with seeing a medical professional.

Not since former President Harry S. Truman enrolled as Medicare’s first participant in July of 1965 has our health-care system undergone such a complete overhaul.
The reform brought about by this bill is needed and long overdue.
For too long millions of Americans have struggled to see health professionals while health insurance providers have raised premiums and executives have reaped multi-million dollar bonuses.
That is no longer the case.
In the reform legislation, insurers can no longer reject anyone with pre-existing conditions. They will be limited in how much they can increase rates particularly for older citizens, many of whom are on fixed incomes and unable to afford any steep increases, at the same time their health care needs are also rising.
There will be financial help for those individuals and small businesses having difficulty affording their insurance coverage. It would include aid to families earning $88,000 a year or less.
This bill also ensures that Hawaii, a state long ahead of the curve in terms of providing health insurance and affordable access to medical professionals, maintains its high level of health-care while expanding the reach of existing federal programs.
Our Hawaiçi is home to the nation’s most comprehensive and effective health care plan. Hawaiçi has among the lowest number of uninsured at 10 percent, our insurance premiums are among the lowest, and our residents live longer than our mainland counterparts.
The state Prepaid Health-care act of 1975 ensures that every employee in Hawaii working at least 20 hours a week receive health insurance from their employer.
Hawaiçi received an exemption to ensure Hawaiçi’s employer mandated health-care law would not be rolled back.
The health-care reform bill also includes tremendous cost savings and subsidy incentives for the state.
Hawaii is one of two states in the country who are not permanently enrolled in the federal Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program which reimburses hospitals that care for the uninsured.
Currently Hawaiçi’s temporary enrollment expires in 2012 but the new bill will make DSH permanent resulting in more than $100 million for Hawaiçi’s health-care industry over the next 10 years.
This program works to ensure that emergency rooms across the country are equipped with the resources necessary to treat young children.
A civilized, democratic society like ours should help maintain the health and welfare of all our citizens. No one should be denied medical care or lose coverage because they can’t afford to pay to see a medical professional.
Like that July afternoon in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law I am especially pleased to see that our great nation once again has recognized and worked to meet the basic needs of our citizens.”