Rep. Tim Murphy on Health Care November 9 2009
I received this in response to an email I sent to my Congressman, Tim Murphy. Here he is, injecting some sanity into the House of Representatives:
Dear Mr. Lewandowski,
Thank you for contacting me to express your views on healthcare. It is good to hear from you and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.
For years I’ve been fighting for real healthcare reforms to lower costs and improve quality. From the time I took on insurance companies with the Patient Bill of Rights in the Pennsylvania State Senate to my work in Congress ensuring our seniors had access to mental healthcare, I have been dedicated to continuing these efforts because all of us have been personally impacted by the shortcomings in our current healthcare system. Insurers have denied coverage to people because of a preexisting condition and even dropped coverage when those who became sick needed it the most. Add to that the fact that in the past ten years, the average insurance premium has doubled in cost and it’s clear that reforms are needed.
On November 7, 2009, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 220-215 H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The bill attempted to address some of problems I have just outlined, but it includes no fundamental reforms that will ultimately lead to better patient outcomes, less waste, and greater access to quality care. H.R. 3962 does not fix our healthcare problem, it just finances a broken system.
I voted against the legislation because replacing the barriers between patients and doctors today with new barriers managed by the federal government is not an adequate solution. At a ten-year cost of $1.055 trillion, H.R. 3962 creates a government-run insurance plan, requires individuals to purchase an insurance policy, and requires employers to offer insurance or face tax penalties. The proposal includes a number of mandates on insurers and enrolls 18 million more Americans, including able-bodied childless adults, in Medicaid. The bill also provides government subsidies to families earning up to $88,200 in order to buy health insurance.
H.R. 3962 is financed with $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and $730 billion in new taxes. There are new payroll taxes, small business taxes, and income taxes. There will also be a tax on medical devices, such as a wheelchair tax, a hospital bed tax, a hip replacement tax, and a nebulizer tax. People with heart disease will have to pay more for pacemakers, artificial hearts, and heart monitors. Asking the sick to pay more for care is the exact opposite direction healthcare reform was supposed to take us.
Supporters of H.R. 3962 have argued that the bill’s main component, a government-run insurance plan, is necessary to induce competition and bring down insurance costs, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has stated that the government-run plan neither reduces costs for families or slows the long-term growth in healthcare expenses.
Before creating another government entitlement replete with over 110 new federal agencies, commissions, and programs, Congress should take heed to fix its existing obligations. I offered an amendment to H.R. 3962 that would have established a “blue ribbon” panel of nonpolitical healthcare experts from over 150 specialty academies and colleges of medicine to conduct a top-to-bottom review of Medicare. Adopting the specialty societies’ clinical guidelines and protocols, which utilize scientific evidence-based medicine, could save $600 billion a year according to the New England Healthcare Institute. Unfortunately, the Majority blocked consideration of my amendment.
The current House legislation makes no quality reforms that would eliminate the $700 billion to $1 trillion in inefficiencies, waste, and medical errors in the $2.47 trillion healthcare system. In fact, H.R. 3962 just about outlaws tort reform because it financially punishes states that cap noneconomic damages awarded by juries. Reforming medical lawsuits would increase patient access to doctors and save up to $246 billion in “defensive medicine” costs, which occur when doctors order unnecessary tests and procedures.
The bill fails to enact true insurance reforms that will lead to lower costs for consumers. H.R. 3962 does not give you the choice to buy a plan that suits your needs at a cost you can afford. According to University of Minnesota researchers, more than 12 million people could find an affordable policy that best fits their individual needs if allowed to buy an out-of-state plan, just as we allow for auto insurance. Yet this simple reform was not included in the final bill.
I agree we need to reform healthcare quickly, but we also need to do it right. Members of Congress were denied an additional 72 hours to review last minute changes to the legislation. In the haste to pass H.R. 3962, the Majority permitted the full House of Representatives to consider only two of the 216 amendments offered. The Majority rejected the three amendments I offered for consideration and permitted a mere four hours of debate on this extraordinary $1 trillion piece of legislation that will fundamentally alter the relationship between you, your government, and your doctor.
I remain hopeful that we will improve healthcare by working together. As the Senate moves forward with legislation and works on a compromise with the House of Representatives, it is my hope that the final product will include real reforms that make quality healthcare affordable for all. I am committed to improving healthcare quality, reducing costs, improving patient safety, stopping waste and abuse, and putting the doctor back in charge of your healthcare. As healthcare reform continues to move through Congress, I appreciate your comments and suggestions. If you are interested in receiving my email newsletter, I invite you to visit my website at http://murphy.house.gov and sign up.
Sincerely,
Tim Murphy
Member of Congress
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