Many people with whom I have met acknowledge that our healthcare system is broken, but some fear the cost will be too high; I assure you the cost of doing nothing will be much greater.
I will do my best to clear up a few of the myths I have heard over the last few months as I continue to do my utmost to help West Virginians understand what is going on in the healthcare debate. I will also continue to meet with constituents and groups, provide resources on my website, send out newsletters, and answer your questions as we move towards a final healthcare bill.
Myth: A government panel or bureaucrat will tell you when to die.
Fact: The fact is that under the bill being debated in the House, decisions about your health will still be made by you, your doctor, and your family. The House bill simply provides Medicare reimbursement to doctors for spending time with patients who wish to speak with their doctors about their values and preferences regarding end-of-life care. Any end-of-life care conversations are only at a patient’s request.
Myth: We can’t afford healthcare reform at this time.
Fact: Another myth is that we can’t afford healthcare, when in reality we can’t afford not to fix it. Rising health care costs hurt not only our families and businesses, but are also currently driving up the budget deficit. Insurance costs have increased 131 percent since 1999 for a year of family coverage, while wages have only increased 38 percent in the same time period. If we do nothing, the cost of health care premiums will continue to grow.
Myth: Health care reform will end Medicare.
Fact: Medicare is incredibly important to our seniors as they rely on this service for their medical care. Without it, many could not get the care they need and deserve. That is why the healthcare reform bill is about strengthening Medicare for its enrollees. The House bill lowers prescription drug costs by closing the “donut hole”, makes preventive care free, ensures that you can keep your doctor, and improves the quality of your care. It’s projected that the provisions included in the bill to strengthen Medicare will extend the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by at least five years through 2022.
Myth: The House bill contains a government-run public option that would force employers to drop their more expensive coverage and force everyone onto a public plan.
Fact: Under the House bill, no one can ever be forced onto the public option. The only way someone would be in the public plan is as a result of their own individual choice of that plan over other private insurance options. Approximately 1 in 10 Americans are expected to enter the Health Insurance Exchange to purchase their own insurance at competitive rates – and there, they will have a range of choices from a public option to various private plans. Furthermore, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projects that more employers are likely to provide coverage under the bill – and just over 3 percent of Americans will actually choose the Public Option.
Myth: The House bill will harm small businesses – undermining their ability to create new jobs and imposing large tax hikes – taking a big chunk out of their hard-earned income.
Fact: In reality, the bill would significantly cut the costs of health care coverage for small businesses by creating competition between insurance companies, and allowing small business owners to enter into an insurance exchange to get the kind of low rates only big businesses have access to right now. Small businesses are offered two kinds of tax credits to help pay for insurance: a permanent tax credit that phases out for bigger businesses and those with higher salaries; and for small businesses with 25 or fewer employees and average wages of less than $40,000 get tax credits of up to 50 percent of their insurance costs. The vast majority of small businesses – those with payrolls under $500,000 in the latest version of the House bill – would be completely exempt from the shared responsibility concept that would require them to purchase insurance for their workers.
U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) represents West Virginia’s 3rd District.
#1. A recent poll in "investors.com" is Investors Business Daily, a right wingnut group that also said health reform would outlaw private insurance and proven wrong. They are just not credible.
The AMA is in favor of reform.
There has been no plan to grant amnesty to "20-30 million" illegals.
The 47 million figure is the one the right wingnuts claim is inflated with the illegals...so no you're agreeing with it?
The health insurance companies decide now what care you get based on their profit margin.
#2 I find it quite strange that all of a sudden when it comes to helping Americans with health insurance, everyone is so worried about how we can afford it. When it was bombs to destroy a nation, them money to rebuild that nation, no one said a peep. Maybe those without insurance should declare themselves to be Iraqi's then the right wingnuts would be willing to throw money at them.
#3 Obama has begun to help straighten up Medicare. You know the guy has been there about 8 months. When he came into office the economy was on the verge of a depression, there was an auto industry in crisis and a bailout, a financial industry in crisis and a bailout, a housing industry in crisis, 2 wars, I mean, what do you expect??? You can't fix 8 years of republican malfeasance in 8 months.
#4 LOL...The point of saying you could keep your insurance was the fact that some republican liars were saying everyone would have to go to "government insurance"(which is another lie).
#5 The costs are now hurting us all. Everyone who doesn't have insurance is being treated only when their illness gets more serious, and being treated in emergency rooms
I'll be surpised to see this POS paper actually print this.
Q #1. A recent poll in Investors.com noted that 45% of respondents, doctors and nurses, indicated they would consider leaving the medical field if this Bill is passed. President Obama has indicated that he will pursue an amnesty bill for illegal aliens, which if passed, will bring in 20-30 million new people into the system. Coupled with the much cited figure of 47 million uninsured, who can the system absorb up to 70-80 million new entrants, with a decrease in doctors and nurses, and not have rationing of health care? Who will make the decisions about who gets what care? HR 3200 gives Obama the right to appoint members of a board that will decide FOR YOU what you get, or as Obama said, "the health care you NEED." Not what YOU want, but what he thinks you need.
Q #2. President Obama's own budget office indicated the deficits will rise to over 9 Trillion over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office (non-partisan) has indicated HR 3200 will cost close to half a Billion dollars. Additionally, every American will be REQUIRED by law to buy this insurance. Again, tell us how we can afford this?
Q #3. President Obama has indicated Medicare has over half a Billion dollars in fraud and waste in the system at present, that he intends to correct that and use the savings to pay for government health care. If this is true, why hasn't he already corrected the problem, and why on earth would anybody with a brain trust the Govt. to run another program, when there is this much waste to begin with already?
Q #4. Isn't it true that under this Bill employers will have the option of paying a fine to the Govt. based upon a percentage of payroll, in lieu of providing health care for their employees? If they choose to pay the fine, then where else but to the govt. system will people go? If it is cheaper for a business to pay the fine, why would they not dump their employees and simply pay the fine? It is not honest to keep saying everyone will get to keep their insurance; they will, until there is ANY change, at that point they are pushed into the govt. system.
Q #5. How can costs imposed by the Govt. on a small business NOT hurt it?