WASHINGTON – Self-employed and uninsured Americans who currently cannot afford health care coverage got a boost Wednesday when the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that will make health care benefits accessible to more people.

Congressman Pete Hoekstra joined with the majority of House members Wednesday in voting 227-205 to approve the "Quality Care for the Uninsured Act" (HR 2990). Hoekstra noted that it is important to expand access to quality health care at a time when the ranks of uninsured Americans is growing. He noted that the U.S. Census Bureau yesterday reported that the number of uninsured Americans has increased by one million to 44.3 million in the past year.

"We can’t simply focus on reforming the managed-care system as it exists today," said Hoekstra, R-Holland. "More than 44 million Americans don’t even have access to health care right now and we need to change that statistic."

The legislation expands access to health care by:

• Allowing individuals to set up tax-free medical savings accounts (MSAs) to pay for medical expenses;

• Allowing 100 percent tax deductibility of health-care insurance premiums for the self-employed and uninsured;

• Allowing 100 percent tax deductibility of long-term health-care costs;

• Allowing small businesses and self-employed individuals to participate in association health plans, and;

• Allowing community-based health-care providers to form community health center networks to meet the unique needs of employers and employees in medically underserved areas.

"This legislation gives uninsured Americans access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve," Hoekstra said. "We are simply giving those people some of the same opportunities that large companies have enjoyed for years, while expanding opportunities for all Americans to improve their health care coverage."