Dear Editor,
Unfortunately the distortions and half truths that have been
spread about the Congressional health reform efforts over the past
few months were repeated in a letter published on Dec. 7. I am
compelled to respond to correct the most egregious of the factual
distortions and make sure that accurate information about the
House-passed health reform legislation, H.R. 3962, America’s
Affordable Health Choices Act, is conveyed to my constituents who
read the Dispatch.
Congressman responds to letter on the health care debate: Broken system needs reform
Dear Editor,
Unfortunately the distortions and half truths that have been spread about the Congressional health reform efforts over the past few months were repeated in a letter published on Dec. 7. I am compelled to respond to correct the most egregious of the factual distortions and make sure that accurate information about the House-passed health reform legislation, H.R. 3962, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, is conveyed to my constituents who read the Dispatch.
After going to great lengths to share information about and engage my constituents on H.R. 3962, it is frustrating to read baseless assertions about new taxes on the middle class which cite a bill that doesn’t exist (the “Reid-Obama Health Bill”), assert the imposition of “15 new or increased taxes” without any detail or citation, and raise the specter of a “European-style Value Added Tax” without mentioning that no such tax exists in either the House-passed or current Senate bill. There may well be disagreement on the likely outcome of the provisions in the bill, but the facts of the legislation need to form the basis of that debate, not fabrications or distortions of substance.
The road to health reform has been long and difficult. The most recent attempt, in 1994, failed through a combination of scare tactics by opponents and intense opposition from entrenched and wealthy interests. Since then, the health insurance industry has staved off the threat of real reform by pledging to control costs and make health insurance affordable. They have failed to deliver, however, and do not deserve another chance to play with the lives and pocketbooks of the American people.
Meaningful health reform will deliver accessible, affordable, high-quality care and it is not, as the letter writer implies, only the goal of just a few legislators. Passage of reform is critical to the economic health of our nation and for millions of chronically ill and low-income Americans. It is the goal of the thousands of chronically ill Americans who come to Capitol Hill every year – and the millions unable to make the trip – who share their stories of struggling with insurance company bureaucracy, medically related personal bankruptcies, deaths, and financial ruin that result from our broken system.
It is the goal of county and local health officials who struggle to deliver the services their communities need as the public health system across our nation struggles under the weight of the uninsured and underinsured. These voices are not the fringe of America – they are from the heart of our nation and represent reality.
Businesses (small and large) and their employees, the self-employed, and the self-insured are increasingly unable to bear the cost of premiums that climb 8, 10, 15, or as much as 25 percent per year. Our bill in the House was specifically designed to address the needs of small businesses, middle and low-income workers, and families to expand access and quality, while creating transparency and accountability in the health care industry.
The bill allows small businesses, for the first time, to access large group provider rates through a health insurance exchange. It provides substantial tax credits for small businesses to provide health care for workers. Subsidies are made available to American families from 150 percent up to 400 percent of the federal poverty line so they can afford to purchase the insurance plan of their choice. For the very poorest families, H.R. 3962 expands Medicaid to 150 percent of the federal poverty line, and it does so without substantially burdening states. In fact, for the first three years, the expansion is fully funded by the federal government and thereafter, states shoulder only 10 percent of the expansion.
Our bill in the House ends the insurance industry practice of capping annual and lifetime payments for health care. In two years, pre-existing conditions will no longer be able to be used as the basis for coverage denials. Insurance companies will have to report and justify their rate increases and spend at least 85 percent of the premium dollars they collect directly on patient care rather than administrative costs.
We invest heavily in preventative services because we know that chronic health conditions either prevented or caught early cost less to the system and less to the patient than only responding to acute health needs. H.R. 3962 institutes basic consumer protections and requires plans to provide information and outreach in plain language, increasing consumer knowledge and power. Finally, because so much of our focus is on strengthening prevention and coordination, the House bill contains a much stronger investment in primary care physician training and education than the current Senate bill.
I recently joined several colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama and Congressional leaders supporting the House language over the Senate language because of this concern. Space constraints prevent me from going into further detail about the other errors, but I encourage all who are interested in health reform to read the bill online, access summaries and fact sheets and its effects on different groups, and educate yourself about the substance of the bill.
Michael Honda represents California’s 15th Congressional District.
