tim
Volsquatch
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2007
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is his response, in the form of a form letter.
Enjoy.
Dear Tim,
When it comes to issues as important as improving our health care system, it is important to take our time and get it done right or not at all. That's why I stood up to the President and the Speaker of the House in July and helped force a delay in bringing a final health bill to the House floor until members of Congress had an opportunity to have a longer discussion with their constituents. I was also able to reduce the cost of H.R. 3200 by $100 billion, increase the small business exemption from $100,000 annual payroll to $500,000 annual payroll, and add tort reforms to the bill. These are significant changes that altered the Energy and Commerce bill for the better. However, there is more work to be done before I am satisfied that we have gotten health care reform right.
Getting it right means that any reform plan must make health care more affordable for individuals and small businesses. It must make health insurance portable - if you change or lose your job, your health coverage should remain intact. It also has to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage when an individual gets sick.
I want to be clear that I will NOT support a final bill that creates a single-payer, government-run health care system, provides health care coverage to illegal immigrants, or raises our federal deficit by a nickel. In fact, I would like to see health care reform start to reign in runaway health care costs.
Our current system is riddled with inefficiencies and waste. One out of every six dollars in this country is spent on health care. Soon it will be one in five. Health care is the fastest-growing budget item for individuals, businesses and the federal government. We cannot fix these problems by simply throwing more money into the system.
Briefly, let me tell you what I want to see for health care reform:
o I want to see health care made more affordable for individuals and small business. Individuals and small businesses should be able to group up to negotiate better prices.
o If you have health insurance you like, you should be able to keep it.
o You should be able to choose the doctor you want.
o Government-run health care should not be forced on anyone.
o Medicare benefits should be protected, and we should eliminate the donut hole, the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap. We also should address fraud, waste, abuse and overpayments within Medicare to make sure Medicare is fiscally sound for the future.
o I want to see no rationing of health care for seniors or anyone else.
o Illegal immigrants should not be eligible for taxpayer-funded health care.
o I want to see an end to excluding people with pre-existing conditions from getting affordable insurance and stop insurance companies from dropping people when they get sick.
o Any changes must be deficit neutral. I will not vote for a bill that increases the deficit a nickel.
We do not have a final bill yet. There are two different bills in the Senate and three different bills in the House. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member, still has over 60 amendments to consider in September. We have a long process ahead of us and more opportunities for change. I will continue to fight for sound health insurance reform.
G Did Obama copy Bart or visa versa?
Sincerely,
BART GORDON
Member of Congress
BJG/ lna
Stay in touch,
BART GORDON
Member of Congress
P.S. To receive e-mail about important issues and services for your family and to sign up for E-News, click here.
Enjoy.
Dear Tim,
When it comes to issues as important as improving our health care system, it is important to take our time and get it done right or not at all. That's why I stood up to the President and the Speaker of the House in July and helped force a delay in bringing a final health bill to the House floor until members of Congress had an opportunity to have a longer discussion with their constituents. I was also able to reduce the cost of H.R. 3200 by $100 billion, increase the small business exemption from $100,000 annual payroll to $500,000 annual payroll, and add tort reforms to the bill. These are significant changes that altered the Energy and Commerce bill for the better. However, there is more work to be done before I am satisfied that we have gotten health care reform right.
Getting it right means that any reform plan must make health care more affordable for individuals and small businesses. It must make health insurance portable - if you change or lose your job, your health coverage should remain intact. It also has to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage when an individual gets sick.
I want to be clear that I will NOT support a final bill that creates a single-payer, government-run health care system, provides health care coverage to illegal immigrants, or raises our federal deficit by a nickel. In fact, I would like to see health care reform start to reign in runaway health care costs.
Our current system is riddled with inefficiencies and waste. One out of every six dollars in this country is spent on health care. Soon it will be one in five. Health care is the fastest-growing budget item for individuals, businesses and the federal government. We cannot fix these problems by simply throwing more money into the system.
Briefly, let me tell you what I want to see for health care reform:
o I want to see health care made more affordable for individuals and small business. Individuals and small businesses should be able to group up to negotiate better prices.
o If you have health insurance you like, you should be able to keep it.
o You should be able to choose the doctor you want.
o Government-run health care should not be forced on anyone.
o Medicare benefits should be protected, and we should eliminate the donut hole, the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap. We also should address fraud, waste, abuse and overpayments within Medicare to make sure Medicare is fiscally sound for the future.
o I want to see no rationing of health care for seniors or anyone else.
o Illegal immigrants should not be eligible for taxpayer-funded health care.
o I want to see an end to excluding people with pre-existing conditions from getting affordable insurance and stop insurance companies from dropping people when they get sick.
o Any changes must be deficit neutral. I will not vote for a bill that increases the deficit a nickel.
We do not have a final bill yet. There are two different bills in the Senate and three different bills in the House. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member, still has over 60 amendments to consider in September. We have a long process ahead of us and more opportunities for change. I will continue to fight for sound health insurance reform.
G Did Obama copy Bart or visa versa?
Sincerely,
BART GORDON
Member of Congress
BJG/ lna
Stay in touch,
BART GORDON
Member of Congress
P.S. To receive e-mail about important issues and services for your family and to sign up for E-News, click here.
