Health Care Can't Wait

Congress must act quickly to pass health care reform -- the bottom line is -- we can't wait any longer. Across our country, 14,000 Americans are losing their health care coverage every day, joining the 46 million who aren't covered by health insurance. I'm as worried as anyone about how we're going to pay for this overhaul. But the cost of doing nothing is even greater. We must address the lack of access, and the crippling cost of health care that is hurting our families and our economy.

The United States now spends twice as much per capita on health care than almost any other nation, and our outcomes are worse. Spending on doctors, hospitals, drugs, and other health care costs now consumes more than one of every six dollars we earn -- that's approaching 20 percent of our country's GDP. The growing costs to employers, estimated at 5 percent in 2008, have forced many businesses to cut back on benefits. It is even worse now during tough economic times. Before the economic downturn, 62 percent of all personal bankruptcies in 2007 were the result of unaffordable medical bills. What's astounding is that three-fourths of those debtors had health insurance. According to the numbers alone, our system is broken.

But the health care issue is about much more than just numbers. I've heard from countless folks in my district who can't afford health care, or are struggling to come up with the money to pay their rising premiums. One constituent likened her health care bills to a second mortgage. Her middle class family has been paying nearly $15,000 a year for health coverage, which is not uncommon. She's had to cut back on paying for other things in order to afford to keep her family insured. Her story -- and others across my district -- underscore the need to act quickly to make sure that all families have affordable access to the care they need.

There is widespread agreement that something must be done. But as is usually the case when making public policy, the devil is in the details. Changing our health care system will be very difficult, and much compromise will be necessary. No one will get everything they want and after it is done there will be more reform to do. The American people want health care reform, but at the same time are afraid of losing what they already have (if they already have health care coverage). They want access to quality health care but are most concerned with being able to afford it. Of those who have insurance, few are interested in shifting from an insurance industry bureaucracy to a government bureaucracy.

We need to make sure that people who are happy with the coverage they have can keep it. We need to make sure that the American people will be able to keep their doctors, and have a say in their health care decisions. But we must expand the options, so that Americans who don't like their plan, or don't have health care coverage, have a choice. And we can't afford to wait for an arbitrary "trigger" to be pulled to put this reform into operation. If that is part of the bill, reform will likely never happen.

A public plan that provides true competition will be an important part of this reform. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a widely respected non-profit health policy research foundation, nearly two thirds of Americans agree with me that we need to make sure that all Americans have access to affordable health care by providing an alternative to the private insurance options that are on the market. We must ensure that every American has health care coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and that we have adequate protections in place for the doctor-patient relationship. And we must also make sure that people can keep their coverage if they change jobs, get divorced, or their employer changes their options.

By streamlining health care, reducing fraud and abuse, ending unnecessary testing, discouraging over-utilization, investing in smart reforms, and emphasizing preventive health care, we can significantly bring down the cost of health care. In addition to working for these changes, I'll also push to expand access to telemedicine, which provides easier access to health care for people in undeserved communities. We can also make significant cost savings by encouraging more collaboration and patient centered care by doctors. Rather than paying doctors for the volume of procedures they perform, we should reward them for keeping patients healthy.

Reform won't be easy, but it is urgent that we act now to make sure that all Americans can access quality, affordable health care. For the families in my district, and families across the country who can't afford to go to the doctor, or can't afford the medicine they've been prescribed, it's more urgent than ever that we reform our broken health care system as quickly as possible.

Comments

[WolfCADR]

I am so happy that these types of reports are finally coming out. I manage a telemedicine company, Consult A Doctor, offering 24/7 access to doctors via phone and email. The environment in healthcare to try to change the status quo has been very challenging for so many years. Studies like these help shine the light on innovations like telemedicine, specially Consumer-Driven Telemedicine that is offered directly to consumers, employers and through health plans. This not only makes sense, it absolutely lowers costs and makes healthcare more efficient and accessible.

I would also recommed reading the National Center for Policy (NCPA) study on Telemedicine -> http://www.consultadoctor.com/NCPA_Convenient_Care_and_Telemedicine_Summary.pdf

[jmpurser]

Representative Thompson,

This line: "We need to make sure that people who are happy with the coverage they have can keep it." means you are not serious about health care. We CANNOT HAVE successful health care reform including cost control and keep private health insurers as the base. The "low hanging fruit" in cost savings is the 30% or more wasted in paying for competing health insurance plans.

Your post doesn't really endorse a solution except to enshrine the problem as the solution to the problem.

[UninsuredGuy]

Like other middle-class uninsured Americans, prescription costs have become increasingly difficult to manage. Therefore, I had to go online to search for money saving options. I found Medtipster.com which is a helpful medical drug search engine that told me where to get generics for most of my brand named prescriptions. Medtipster allows you to type in your drug name, dosage and zip code to search for and locate prescription drugs that are available on discount generic programs across the United States; many of which are available for as little as $4. Prescriptions that are not available on a discounted program often have therapeutic alternatives on a discounted generic program, which are also available on Medtipster search engine. I have told my friends and families about www.Medtipster.com or http://medtipster.com/search.php

[quiviran]

Your premise for incremental change "people are afraid of losing what they have" is somewhat false, or at least incomplete. People are afraid of losing the access to care they have with the current insurance scheme and not being able to replace it with something as good or better, either due to affordability or insurability.

The answer is simpler than the hodge-podge being railroaded through Congress right now. It is called single payer, tax financed, first dollar coverage. The replacement that people fear will not be there is based on cost (premiums, deductibles and co-pays). A single payer plan that eliminates these insurance industry cost-shifting schemes would allay that fear.

Single payer, first dollar coverage, everybody in the pool (remember, it's tax funded, so no opting out). I think people would be quite comfortable with health care that was always available, no matter their job or income status, and could never drive them to a choice between care and bankruptcy.

What do you say, Congressman. How about running that idea flag up the pole? Remember, citizens vote, not insurance companies. We'll still love you if you try and fail. Not so much if you don't even try.

Everybody needs health care, nobody needs health insurance.

[scooperss]

Honestly, I'm beginning to think the whole push to pass something/anything RIGHT NOW is to have a plan in place to curtail the June 25th march on DC by progressives (of which I'm not one).

[blue ocean55]

You talk big, but then you include the same talking point that has been repeated by every bought and paid for Senator and Congressman on cable news:

"We need to make sure that people who are happy with the coverage they have can keep it."

This misleading line was clearly written by the insurance industry.

The American people are paying attention. We know full well what is going on here. If Washington's idea of "reform" turns out to be a bailout of the insurance industry, names will be taken and the offenders will be punished at the polls.

[Terri Carter 1]

Yes, the American people are paying attention. We just need to be paying attention in much greater numbers to which legislators manipulate the plan in favor of the insurance companies.
We WILL be taking names this time and yes, you could NOT have said it any better - "THE OFFENDERS WILL BE PUNISHED AT THE POLLS". We are talking about life and death situations here for the citizens of this country - not just whether our gas costs a little more!!!
As for the 'JUST SAY NO TO EVERYTHING" members of congress - Take note: We've grown very weary of your dangerous childishness your motives are blatantly obvious! There is no room for schoolyard bullies in positions of power in such desparate times. Take your "time out" then come back and play "nice" with the rest of us!

[Terri Carter 1]

My ending question was... Should we have to die for greed?

[Terri Carter 1]

As an uninsured American I must speak out re: the desparate need for REAL health care reform - which will give a choice between private or national plans. If this is NOT passed, there is no real reform. Insurance companies are in business soley for PROFIT. Millions are SINKING because of it. I recently went to the ER due to hemorraging. I had my blood pressure taken, vile of blood drawn and was given a 7 minute abdominal sonogram. I was registered as a CASH patient, and left distraught fearing that my bill would be hundreds of dollars. A few days later the bill arrived - just under $5,000!!! Worse yet, I am in need of surgery and I CANNOT afford it. So I awaken each day knowing that I've received a VIRTUAL DEATH SENTENCE! I have two children and two beautiful grandchildren, one who said to me the other day "You have to get better. My life would be horrible if you died. Promise you will go to the doctor" - a promise I CANNOT make, and it breaks my heart. I am a hard working person and took a major financial "hit" like millions have in this recent economic catastrophy. I don't want a handout - just a CHANCE. We should NOT have to chose DEATH because insurance is not attainable! Without the choice of a national plan, millions will be left in the dust, especially those of us with pre-existing conditions. Should we have to die for

[tsuh]

I am sorry for your plight and wish you well. The answer to your problem is not government run health care.. In a government run system the government can decide who gets what health care if any. The proposals now on the table for a so called "public insurance option" call for keeping costs down by denying care based on one's "worth" to society. That translates into denying care to the elderly and making decisions on who get what health care on political grounds, ie. aids treatment may be on a higher politically correct scale than lymphoma.

You may not like the idea of "profit" when it comes to health care. However, it is a lot better than going back to the days of King Henry the VIII when if you were not in the correct political class or did not have enough money to bride the powers to be you were just another serf of the King dependent on his whims.

With the government in charge of our health care, they will have the power to decide if you get that operation you need and even if they ok it, you may have to wait months to get it. Assuming there are any doctors left to provide the care. After all you don't think they deserve a "profit" for taking care of you so a lot of them just may well quit instead of working for peanuts. Just remember, you get what you pay for. Think about it.

[tsuh]

The US cannot afford another government run boondoggle like Medicare and Medicaid The US will go BANKRUPT. Congress needs to determine how to keep Medicaid and Medicare from going bankrupt before going even deeper into debt and raising taxes.

The questions the Rep. Mike Thompson should be asking are:

What happens if President Obama gets his way and imposes a government run health care system and there are no health care providers available who will provide the care as they have been put out of business and quit?
Answer: There will not be enough health care professional available to meet all the demands of a government run system so you will end up with insurance and no doctors to treat you.

Why is the government trying to enact another enormous government run health care program when Medicare and Medicaid are going bankrupt?
Answer: Because President Obama and most of the Democrats are into power and want to control every aspect of our lives and do not care about the Nation going bankrupt.

How much will a government run program cost and how is it going to be paid for?
Answer: At least 1.5 trillion which will be paid for with Higher debt and higher taxes which will further hurt an already bad economy.

How will the decisions on health cuts be made?
Answer, Rationing of health care and political favoritism.

Government run health care is just plain wrong and will do more harm than good..

[scooperss]

Health care run by a faceless person who's main job is to deny you, me and everyone else care is just plain wrong.
Insurance is a scam thought up by someone who saw a way to make a profit off another person's suffering.
How else do you explain one insurance CEO making over 20,000,000 a year?

[Lynwood Walker]

Why can't taxes go up. If that average family premium of 15,000 is replaced by a 3.5% payroll tax, or, even better, an actual progressive tax aligned with income, wouldn't that allow more money to be n your pockets ultimately?

II think Americans need to figure out what other countries did a long time ago: if we invest in social programs, that may raise taxes but it invariably increases disposable income.

[tsuh]

Lynwood Walker, "Why can't taxes go up"

Answer:

1) Because I should not have hand over my hard earned dollars to pay for your health insurance against my will. That is called slavery.

2) Government run programs that are funded by tax payer dollars are fraught with a lot of fraud and waste. For example, billions of dollars are wasted in Medicaid and Medicare fraud which will be compounded big time if the government takes over the rest of the health care industry.

3) Once the government gets a hold of another major private industry like health care there it will become a bottomless pit that will require more and more money to sustain itself so taxes will continue to rise . Whether we like it or not, government will have us all by the throats and be able to dictate what level of taxes they need to keep the program going and what we are required to do to keep costs down. ie, if you eat too many potato chips you may be denied care or pay a penalty. Give the government power over health care the sky will be the limit in terms of what they can charge and dictate in terms of your life style.

[Vorticle]

I take it you already have insurance. It's the "I've got mine, to hell with you" attitude that has prevented our working out a new system. Other countries far less wealthy than America can afford healthcare for their citizens. You are one heartless person.

[tsuh]

Vorticle, A single payer government run health care system would put the government in charge of..who gets what health care if any. The proposals now on the table for a so called "public insurance option" call for keeping costs down by denying care based on one's "worth" to society. That translates into denying care to the elderly and making decisions on who get what health care on political grounds, ie. aids treatment may be on a higher politically correct scale than lymphoma.

With the government in charge of our health care, they will have the power to decide if you get that operation you need and even if they ok it, you may have to wait months to get it. Assuming there are any doctors left to provide the care. After all with no "skin in the game" aka "profit" for taking care of you a lot of physicians may well just quit instead of working for peanuts. Just remember, you get what you pay for. Think about it.

Reality Check:
Under a single payer government run program everybody may need health care but only those who are deemed by the government as of "worth to society" or has a "politically correct" disease will get the care.

So who is the "heartless one"? I say the ones who would deny care to the elderly and who wants to take food out of the mouths other peoples children in order to pay for their health care.