I Support Health Care Reform

This morning I got a forwarded email from a very important person to me. The letter was from our Idaho senator (Mike Crapo) and can be read beneath this post highlighted in grey. This is my response to the letter:

I've been following health care reform for some time for obvious reasons. The health care bill that is in the house and senate are not bad bills. They have a bad rap, mostly because people have misunderstood it or have skewed the truth. The things on Senator Crapo's list are not enough and the democrat's plan covers them all. Some of the things on Senator Crapo's list are bad. (e.g. if you sell health care across state lines then every insurance company in the nation will go to the state with the most relaxed rules and we would all get poor coverage). The only way to reform health care is with a national plan, much like the bill they have in congres now.

Obama's plan is supposed to reduce costs and national debt, not increase it. The plan reallocates tax funds in order to make things more efficient than they currently are. In addition to altering the national budget, the current exorbitant health care fees will be better managed and controlled (if you don't understand the need for this, I'll show you one of Cindy's medical bills). Which brings me to my next point, we need health care now. We cannot wait for the republicans and the democrats to agree on every point or it will never get done, but it is vitally important for it to happen soon.

There are many myths about health care reform. Among these are the following:

• It will rase the national debt.
  It is true that national health care will cost money, however, the current plan will reallocate funds to cover costs and has excise taxes built into the law to keep the debt from increasing. While these excise taxes are contingent on future lawmakers, if passed the national annual debt will decrease, not increase.
• Health care will be rationed.
  Anyone who uses the current health care for more than annual checkups will know that health care is already rationed—if you can't afford health care, you don't get it. People with pre-existing conditions regularly go into bankruptcy because they cannot afford their medical bills. When they can no longer afford their bills, they can no longer get the care they need. If anything, there will be less rationing.
• Health care reform will kill off our old people
  I have no idea how the "death panel" myth ever got started. The health care bills says nothing of the sort. There will be "end of life counseling" which is a good thing. It would mean that people will get the counseling they need for things like advanced directives (should they keep you alive with machines even though your brain is inactive?) and legal wills etc.

It is important to realize that every developed nation in the world has nationalized health care except the United States. Most countries and most people feel it is a good thing according to polls, etc. (obviously, or you wouldn't see such a trend). We should not be fighting good things, we should be supporting health care.

I realize that you may feel that I have strong feelings on this because of Cindy's health. You're right. I do. I honestly feel that this is a good bill and I don't understand why we don't already have something like it in our country. Because of these strong feelings I have, I've been watching the health care debate very closely and I've done a lot of research. I'll admit that I haven't read the entire bill, but I've read a lot of opinions on the bill (good and bad) and the most informed opinions were in favor of reform.

I support health care reform.

The letter received from my contact:

Dear ***,
I am contacting you to ask for your help in stopping the health care reform bill that Congress is considering.

The House of Representatives is planning to vote on the bill this Sunday.  The Democrat Leadership in the House will use highly unusual Congressional maneuvers to pass the same bill that the Senate passed on Christmas Eve last year.Please join me in asking members of Congress to oppose this deeply flawed bill.     Many in the media are criticizing Republicans for not having ideas for meaningful health care reform.  This criticism is simply inaccurate.  Republicans have many ideas for reform that will reduce costs, increase access and not place the federal government between a patient and his or her doctor.  These reforms include:

• Allowing health insurance companies to compete across state lines. 
•  Allowing small businesses to pool together when buying health insurance coverage for their employees, just as large corporations and labor unions do. 
• Modernizing Medicare and Medicaid to focus on outcomes rather than procedures. 
• Establishing a system in which health care pricing is made transparent so consumers can compare costs and value. 
• Expanding and reforming high risk pools and reinsurance programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses, have access to affordable health care.  
• Enhancing Health Savings Accounts to allow Americans to save for current and future health care needs and authorizing HSA funds to be used for high deductible health insurance premiums. 
• Incentivizing the allowance of dependents to be able to remain on their parent's insurance until age 25.

The Congressional Budget Office has determined that these simple reforms would indeed decrease the cost of health care, enroll more Americans into quality health insurance plans and not increase federal spending.
The current health bill is more than 2,000 pages long and is projected to cost at least $940 billion over ten years.  Picture this to get an idea of how much $940 billion is:  a neat stack of $100 bills, 42 inches tall, equals $1 million.  To reach $940 billion, you need a stack of $100 bills that is 583 miles high! That's about the same distance as the drive from Boise, ID to Sacramento, CA!
We simply must not burden our county with that much debt by passing this bill.  I, along with my Republican colleagues, are asking that reforms like the ones above be the core of a health care reform bill.  However, we need your help.
Now is the time to contact your friends, family and those within your circle of influence and ask that they contact their Senators and Representative.  Tell them to vote "no" on this bill and to advocate for health care reform that increases of the power individual, not the federal government. Please contact your friends, family and everyone you know NOW to get engaged on this issue.  When the American people speak out, Congress listens.   You can contact your Senators and Representative today via email, fax or by phone.

Thank you for your help!
Mike Crapo
U. S. Senator
Idaho