Press Release

America's Hospitals Call for Passage of Landmark Health Reform Bill

Contact:
Alicia Mitchell - (202) 253-8629
Jennifer Armstrong Gay - (202) 253-6892

Washington D.C.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today called for passage of the historic health reform measure being considered this weekend in the U.S. House of Representatives. The AHA has long been committed to meaningful health care reform and, in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), reaffirmed its support for moving health reform efforts forward.

The AHA praised the bill for extending coverage to 32 million people and providing caregivers with important tools to improve the quality and delivery of patient care. "For hospitals, reform holds the promise of better access to quality care for all," said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. "It is critical that we find a way to extend coverage to all and this bill takes a giant step forward. The time for action is now and we strongly urge the House to pass health reform that will improve the health care system for the patients and the communities we serve."

The AHA also pledged to work with Congress to further improve health care in America. For a copy of the letter, visit www.aha.org.

About AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.