News for the Ninth - 10.30.2009

As the health care debate continues in Congress, I have become increasingly concerned that those who are writing the proposed legislation are doing so behind closed doors. I have encouraged the Majority to bring more transparency to the process, something President Obama promised during last year’s campaign. Unfortunately, those calls have fallen on deaf ears.

America’s seniors are important to our society but are too often taken for granted.  Many have put their lives on the line and sacrificed much so that we can be free.  We owe them a debt of gratitude that we may never be able to repay.  That is why as we consider health care reform, we have a responsibility to protect the best interests of seniors and ensure that we do no harm to the health care they already receive.

Unfortunately, health care bills in secret do not accomplish this goal.  Seniors should be empowered with a health care plan offering greater choice and affordability, but, instead, the Nancy Pelosi plan for a government takeover of health will lead to higher taxes, cuts in benefits, and government bureaucrats’ taking control of seniors’ health care.  These are not the answers to our health care problems.

For seniors who live on fixed incomes, the prospect of being forced to pay more for health care is truly frightening.  President Obama promised that health care reform will lower health care costs.  But the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the Majority’s health care plan will actually increase spending on health care.  The CBO has also reported that the Majority’s plan will increase seniors’ Medicare prescription drug premiums by 20 percent over the next decade.  During these difficult economic times, when many are already struggling to make ends meet, raising seniors’ health care costs will only make their hardships worse.

Also, under the Majority’s plan seniors may not be able to keep their current coverage.  The plan includes cuts to Medicare Advantage.  Medicare Advantage is widely supported by the seniors who participate because of the program’s choice and affordability.  Seniors in Medicare Advantage save, on average, more than $800 a year in health care.  Yet these harmful and arbitrary cuts will result in health care plans dropping out of the program, undermining beneficiary choice and causing millions of seniors to lose their current coverage. 

Finally, the Majority’s bill will significantly increase the power of the federal government in the lives of seniors and their health care decisions.  Nothing should come between seniors and their doctors, yet that is exactly what the House bill does.  As health care costs continue to rise, government bureaucrats could have no choice but to ration care. Rationing care would pay for care based on your age and cost to treat your condition. This is just plain wrong! Health care decisions are best left between seniors and their doctors – Period!