Following is an email exhange I had with Senator Arlen Specter (Dem-PA) regarding health care. Of particular note is the fact that my concern was not addressed in either exchange, as well as the time between my second email and his reply.
Feb 11, 2000 1:11PM
Dear Mr. Welch:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding health reform. On December 24, 2009, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 60-39. This legislation is an important step in ensuring adequate health care becomes a right in America and not just a privilege.
This legislation extends coverage to 31 million more Americans. It also has important insurance reforms: no longer can an insurance company reject a claim because of a pre-existing condition; no longer can there be a lifetime limit on insurance coverage. It also provides subsidies to those who need assistance and tax credits for small businesses that offer health care to their employees. Notably, it is projected to reduce the deficit by $132 billion in the next ten years and by greater amounts in the following decade. However, the bill lacks provisions that I would have preferred. I would like to see a strong, robust public option. I would like to see more clear-cut language on a woman's right to choose.
I consider the legislation similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. It was a very good law, but it took a preliminary legislative enactment in 1957 and another in 1964 - each an incremental step - to set the stage for what was satisfactory and adequate civil rights legislation. This bill is the first step in health reform and I look forward to continuing to improve this legislation in the future.
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views on this issue to my attention. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter
My reply, Feb 11, 2010 7:38PM
Dear Senator Specter,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am in favor of healthcare reform, however, I must, respectfully, state again that current legislation is not the proper answer for, nor in the best interests of, Main Street USA.
According to information I have found, of the 31 million people you mention below needing health insurance, there are included slightly over 10 million who earn more than three times the stated "poverty level" but have decided, for whatever reasons, not to purchase insurance. If they have elected not to pruchase insurance how is it that we will now, per the language of legislation proposed, force them to do so?
I have also read that somewhere near six million people already on Medicare were undercounted.
Those two groups account for over half of the current healthcare reform number.
And why is it that Tort Reform is not uppermost in the House and Senate Bills? Curtailing outrageous settlements will reduce the cost of insurance as well as healthcare.
I do agree with the pre-exisiting conditions portion of the bill and certain other aspects but the majority of the two bills presented do transfer too much authority and power to government.
That was not the intention of the Founding Fathers.
To wit:
"Most bad government has grown out of too much government." and "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people, by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations." and "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." James Madison
Please take another look at what is proposed. I, and virtually everyone I know, do not believe that it is in our best interest to follow the current path of reform.
I trust that my communication is taken in the spirit in which it is offered. That of a Patriot. A proud member of Main Street USA.
Respectfully,
Scott Welch
His canned response (much of which is contained in the first email), just now received, May 26, 2010 1:19PM, approximately 3 1/2 months after his receipt of my email:
Dear Mr. Welch:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding health reform. On December 24, 2009, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 60-39. The House of Representatives passed this bill on March 21, 2010 and President Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010. This is an important step in ensuring adequate health care becomes accessible to all Americans.
The Senate and House of Representatives have also passed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which improves upon the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Together, both pieces of legislation extend coverage to 32 million more Americans, which means that 95% of Americans will have health insurance.
Health reform is also important for those who already have health insurance. In the first year, health insurers will be prohibited from imposing lifetime limits on benefits or rescinding coverage when individuals get sick. Insurers will also be required to cover pre-existing conditions for children and extend coverage to adult children under their parents' insurance until age 26.
By 2014, state-based exchanges will be established to help individuals and small employers purchase health care coverage. Consumers will be able to easily compare plans based on prices and benefits, which will help to increase competition. Insurers offering plans in the exchanges will be required to offer a minimum set of benefits and spend at least 80% of premium dollars on medical coverage. They will also be required to cover pre-existing conditions and prohibited from enacting annual or lifetime caps on benefits.
There are also provisions to help people who may not be able to afford health insurance coverage. Premium and cost-sharing tax credits will be available to assist low- and middle-income families with purchasing health insurance. This will help up to 904,000 Pennsylvanians afford vital health insurance. Tax credits are also available for small businesses that offer health care to their employees. These tax credits will help to alleviate some of the costs of health insurance and make it more affordable for small businesses and their employees. According to the Small Business Majority, approximately 3.6 million small businesses will qualify for the tax credit in 2010. In Pennsylvania, up to 151,000 small businesses will be eligible for these tax credits.
The legislation also makes important improvements to federal health care programs, including closing the Medicare donut hole and providing annual wellness visits and preventive benefits, such as cancer screenings to Medicare beneficiaries without any cost-sharing requirements. There are provisions to better identify and prevent fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. The Act also increases payments to providers under Medicaid and makes substantial investments in Community Health Centers to expand access to health care in communities where it is needed most.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes important provisions to focus on prevention and health promotion. Funding is provided to promote individual and community health and to prevent chronic disease, along with research in public health services and best prevention practices. It also eliminates cost-sharing for recommended preventive care to encourage individuals to seek out this care and catch diseases and disorders in early stages.
To address the current need for more health workers, the legislation makes vital investments in the future of our health care workforce. It addresses shortages in primary care and other areas of practice, including providing greater investments in the National Health Service Corps' scholarship and loan repayment programs and incentives for providers to practice in underserved areas.
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views on this issue to my attention. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter
Is it any wonder why people are disillusioned with government?
This taxpayer is not naive enough to think the senator reads all correspondence. However, the people who have been tasked with doing so, and responding, should, at the very least, address the concerns of the voters.
Over For Now.
Main Street One.
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