On September 25th, the United States Senate passed Michelle's Law (H.R. 2851); the bill now heads to the President to be signed into law.  The legislation extends the existing health insurance coverage for dependent college students for up to one year in the event of a medically necessary leave of absence. 

The bill is named for the late Michelle Morse, a 20-year-old student at Plymouth State University (New Hampshire) who found it necessary to remain a full-time student as she was undergoing treatment for advanced colon cancer because, due to the laws in place at the time, her parents' health insurance would not cover the cost of her care.  Michelle succumbed to cancer in 2005 after graduating from college.

NPAF commends Members of Congress supporting this critical legislation, particularly the House and Senate sponsors.

View NPAF Press Release

National Patient Advocate Foundation has recently released its Pillars of Health Care Reform.  NPAF strongly supports a national solution aimed to expand access to health coverage while reigning in costs and spending.

The U.S. Census Bureau released its annual report, "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007," on August 26th.  The report states that the number of uninsured has decreased, from 47 million in 2006 to 45.7 million in 2007.

A new study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs reports that the uninsured will spend $30 billion on out-of-pocket health expenses this year and in addition, other parties including the governement will spend about $56 billion covering costs for those who lack health insurance.