The Ken Calvert Corruption Chronicles

Episode 5: Health Care Reality Check

The Ken Calvert Corruption Chronicles are weekly reviews of Ken Calvert’s 18 years in Congress. The series will look into Calvert’s record of hypocrisy, extremism and corruption. This is Episode 5.

Episode 5: Health Care Reality Check

Ken Calvert has continually voted against historic health insurance reform that would improve Medicare, close the prescription drug donut hole, and provide insurance for over 110,000 uninsured residents in his district.

With over $160,000 in contributions from pharmaceutical, insurance companies and HMOs, it is no wonder Calvert has repeatedly opposed expanding insurance coverage to children, opposed re-importation of prescription drugs, and opposed low-cost health insurance plans for small businesses. Calvert even saved HMOs some $22 billion with favorable reimbursement formulas after intense lobbying from the health insurance industry.

But this week Calvert has a chance to redeem himself by voting for the Health Insurance Reform Bill that will benefit thousands of residents living in the district.

The benefits for CA-44 district residents are clear. The health insurance bill will:

Improve coverage for 518,000 residents with health insurance.
Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 138,000 families and 13,000 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
Improve Medicare for 76,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
Extend coverage to 107,000 uninsured residents.
Guarantee that 19,600 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
Protect 2,200 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
Allow 81,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 2 community health centers.
Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $15 million annually.
Reduce the deficit by over $100 billion over the next ten years and by about $1 trillion over the second decade.

Ken Calvert, it's time to put people before party. Vote for the Health Insurance Reform Bill.

Sources:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/health_care/districts/new/CA44.Calvert.pdf
opensecrets.org, accessed 5/20/09
HRS653, http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll004.xml, 2/01/06

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Bill Hedrick has been a public school teacher for 35 years and, as a member of the Corona-Norco Board of Education, has helped lead California’s 8th largest school district for 22 years, improving the education of 53,000 children. With a grassroots campaign and no national support, Bill came within less than two percentage points of unseating 16-year incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert in 2008. Bill is running again to fight wasteful spending and corruption and to bring real leadership – leadership we can trust – to the people of California’s 44th Congressional District.

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Hedrick family Bill Hedrick has spent his entire adult life teaching our children, advocating for teachers, and managing our schools. For over twenty years, he's served our community on the Corona-Norco school board. He and Beth have raised five children in our community - including two who have served in Iraq.

Bill's always demanded accountability in our schools - and it's time to demand accountability from Washington, D.C. In Congress, Bill Hedrick will fight to save and create jobs, cut government waste, invest in our infrastructure, and ensure our children have opportunities to succeed.

Learn more about Bill.