HEALTH CARE

What changed between H.R. 3200, the draft health care reform legislation introduced last summer, and H.R. 3962, the Health Care for America Act? Click here for a side-by-side comparison

Click here to read the full bill text of H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act

Click here to read the full bill text of H.R. 3691, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act

On July 29, I held a telephone town hall during which nearly 2,000 Marylanders joined me in a discussion about the health care reform legislation under consideration in the House of Representatives. This is the first of what I hope will be many of these discussions, allowing thousands of you to share with me your questions and concerns about the issues I am working on for you in the Congress. Please click here to listen to a recording of the town hall.
One advantage I have in living so close to Washington, D.C., is that I am able to come home every day and talk to my neighbors. I see many of you out and about in the neighborhood, in the grocery store, at the gas station, and at church, and I am always pleased to hear what’s on your mind. Recently, everyone has wanted to talk about the same thing: health care.
Some of you support the health care reform bill currently under consideration in the House and some of you oppose it, but most of you just have questions about what exactly is in the bill and what it means for you. Please allow me to explain what our health care reform bill does—and why I believe we need it.

We cannot afford to wait another moment to fix our nation’s health care system. Every single day, an additional 14,000 people lose their health insurance. So many of you are struggling right now as you face losing your jobs, your homes, and your savings—making it that much more critical that you have access to quality health care that you can afford.
Health care is not a privilege—it is a right. During the past decade, insurance premiums have doubled. Out-of-pocket expenses have shot up by one-third. Deductibles continue to steadily climb. People get sick and suddenly find themselves in desperate situations because their insurance companies drop their coverage—and then they find themselves unable to get new insurance because of a “pre-existing condition.”
All the while, as Maryland families are being battered by skyrocketing health costs, the insurance companies and their executives reap windfall profits. We have the most expensive healthcare system in the world, spending almost 50 percent more per person than the next most costly nation—but we’re no healthier for it. We need health care reform that will result in a more effective and efficient system. This is America. We can—and must—do better.
While it is important for our health and well-being to reform the nation’s health care system, it is also critical for our economic future. In fact, curbing health care costs is the single best tool for deficit reduction. Under the current system, we spend 1 out of every 6 tax dollars on health care. If we continue at this rate, we will be spending 1 out of every $5 on health care in a decade. In 30 years, it will be 1 of every $3. This system is clearly broken, and it is breaking America’s families, businesses, and economy.

The House is currently considering a health care reform bill that you’ve likely heard a lot about.  Our healthcare reform bill creates a unique new system that has something for everyone.  It is about providing you not only with access to quality health care that you can afford—but also providing you with choices.

• If you already have health insurance and you’re happy with your plan, you can keep it. This bill doesn’t allow the government to force you to give up your plan for something different. What our bill WILL do for you is provide you with more stability and security in your existing plan. It will prevent companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick, and it will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, move, or change jobs, you will still be able to have coverage. It will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for medical costs out of your own pocket, and it will cover critical preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives—and money.

• If you don’t already have health insurance, or if you run a small business and want to provide coverage to your employees, our plan will let you choose a quality, affordable health plan through an innovative Health Insurance Exchange—a marketplace that promotes choice and competition. And, importantly, no insurance company will be able to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. If you have a low or moderate income, the government will help you pay for health coverage.

• If you run a small business, you are among those who would benefit the most from our health care reform legislation.  Right now, less than half of our nation’s smallest firms can afford to offer health care benefits, and 60% of America’s uninsured are small business owners, their employees, and their families. As a small business owner, you will get incentives such as major tax credits to help you provide coverage to your employees under our plan. We understand that America’s small businesses are the backbone of our nation’s economy, and we want to ensure that you can afford to provide your employees with health benefits. The current system puts many of our small businesses at a disadvantage—you pay nearly 20% more for the same insurance plans as your counterparts at larger firms. Our plan levels the playing field.

• If you rely on Medicare for their medical treatment, strengthening and improving Medicare is a critical component of health care reform, and you will find improved access to quality, affordable care. Perhaps most notably, the plan will completely phase out the Part D donut hole that has left many senior citizens unable to afford their prescription drugs for a portion of the year. The bill will also eliminate your copayments for preventative services and improve the programs that provide you with subsidies for quality health care if you have a moderate income.

• Additionally, the plan will take great steps to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare program. It will end the overpayments to private health plans under Medicare Advantage and add additional consumer protections to ensure that these companies are investing premiums in patient care. Additionally, it will resolve a long-standing problem with the physician payment formula in a way that promotes primary care and advances innovation. Investments in health delivery system reform will improve coordinated care, promote efficiency, and enhance quality. 

• For the more than 60 million low-income Americans rely on Medicaid for their health care, the reform will take several steps to improve and strengthen this critical program. It will extend access to all childless adults who meet the income criteria, to be paid for by federal resource to ease the burden on state budgets. You will also see an improvement in your access to services due to an increase in Medicaid payments for primary care services—again paid for by the federal government rather than the state.

You may be wondering how this plan will affect residents of the 7th District. Here is how:

• 14,000 small businesses could receive tax credits to provide coverage to their employees.

• 4,700 seniors could avoid the donut hole in Medicare Part D that leaves many seniors unable to pay for their prescription drugs.

• Nearly 1,000 families could escape bankruptcy each year due to unaffordable health care costs.

• Health care providers in our area would receive payment for $221 million in uncompensated care each year.

• And, 60,000 uninsured individuals in our community would gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.

There has been a lot of back and forth about what exactly is in this bill, and even more baseless rhetoric from people who want to keep the broken health care system the way that it is. As always, I encourage you to contact my office at 410.685.9199 if you have concerns about this or any other piece of legislation.