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Congressman Bart Stupak Answers Questions on Health Care Reform Proposal

November 15, 2009       1 Comments
By: MyBayCity Staff

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, who represents much of Northern Michigan south to Bay County, has quickly become one of the best known figures in the health care reform debate. He sponsored the anti-abortion amendment that achieved victory and helped to assure final passage of the bill in the House. The debate has now moved to the Senate. Here he answers questions about the House bill.)

Question: Can our country afford health insurance reform?

Answer: The cost of health care is rising exponentially, far out-pacing inflation. We simply cannot afford to maintain the status quo. If we do nothing to curb health care costs, by 2019 we will be spending one out of every $5 dollars on health care. The longer we wait, the more it will cost to fix our broken health care system.

Question: Will abortion be covered in the new insurance plans?

Answer: Although the legislation does not specifically address the issue of abortion, I am concerned that silence on the issue leaves the door open for federal funding of abortions. I proposed amendments to the bill to clarify that no federal funds should be used to fund abortions and the essential benefits package cannot define abortion as an essential service.

Question: Will health reform force all Americans out of their private insurance plans and into a government-run plan?

Answer: No. If you like your insurance, you can keep it. H.R. 3200 builds on the employer-based coverage we have today. If your employer offers health insurance, you will continue to get your coverage through them. If your employer does not offer insurance, you will be able to purchase health coverage through an insurance "exchange", or online clearinghouse, which will offer a variety of private insurance plans as well as a "public option." This mirrors what federal employees and Members of Congress have.

Question: What is a "public option?"

Answer: The public option is a government-sponsored, non-profit health care plan. Similar to Medicare, it will not be funded by government subsidies, but instead will be funded solely by the premiums it collects (just like private plans). The public option will be required to follow the same regulations placed on private insurance companies, including staying financially solvent. The public option will exist only as long as Americans want to buy into it.

Question: What is the exchange?

Answer: The exchange is an online clearinghouse for all insurance plans. To be part of it and compete for customers, an insurance plan must contain a basic minimum of benefits as determined by the Health Choices Commission, established in the legislation. Information on coverage and benefits must be clearly listed beside each plan in easy-to-understand language. The exchange will bring together information that is currently scattered, giving consumers the opportunity to make informed decisions about what plan works best for them.

Question: Will my Medicare coverage change?

Answer: The only changes Medicare beneficiaries will see are two significant improvements to the program that seniors have long asked for. First, the bill will cover 100 percent of the cost of preventative care, such as regular check ups, mammograms and other preventive tests. Second, the bill ensures that millions of seniors will save money on their prescription drugs by phasing in a complete fix for the "donut hole" in the Medicare prescription drug benefit (where drug costs are not reimbursed at certain levels).

Question: Will my TRICARE or VA care change?

Answer: No. TRICARE and VA care are exempted from H.R. 3200, although veterans will have the option of participating in the exchange if they choose to do so. No other government agency will be able to infringe on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' authority over the TRICARE program.

Question: Will the legislation require me to join the public plan if I lose my private coverage?

Answer: No one will be required to join the public plan. If you lose your insurance, you will be able to shop for a new plan in the exchange and determine which plan best suits you and your family's needs.

Question: Are Members of Congress exempt from changes that are being proposed for the rest of the country?

Answer: No. Members of Congress receive the same health care options as all federal employees, with a choice of private plans that vary by benefits and cost, as well as the public option.

Question: What if I can't afford to purchase health insurance? Won't it be mandatory under H.R. 3200?

Answer: Every American will be required to have health coverage. Medicare recipients will continue to receive Medicare benefits, as will those receiving TRICARE and VA benefits. The lowest income Americans will continue to receive Medicaid benefits. Those Americans who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($88,200 for a family of four) will receive affordability credits to help them purchase insurance on a sliding scale. Those closest to the poverty level will receive the most assistance, while those closest to 400 percent will receive the least.

Question: Will the proposed legislation provide free health care to illegal immigrants?

Answer: No. Section 246 of H.R. 3200 explicitly prohibits the payment of affordability credits to anyone who is not lawfully in the United States.

Question: Will all small businesses be forced to provide coverage to their employees?

Answer: The bill exempts small businesses with a payroll of less than $500,000 from the requirement to provide health insurance for their workers. Businesses with payrolls between $500,000 and $585,000 that do not provide coverage will be charged a payroll tax of 2 percent. Small businesses with payrolls between $585,000 and $670,000 will face a tax of 4 percent and those with payrolls between $670,000 and $750,000 will be subject to a 6 percent tax for not offering coverage. Employers with a payroll of more than $750,000 will be subject to an 8 percent tax. Proceeds from this tax will go to offset the cost of affordability credits for use in the exchange. Small businesses that choose to offer insurance will receive tax credits to offset the cost of insurance.

Question: What does this bill do to stop fraud and abuse in Medicare?

Answer: The legislation strengthens existing compliance and enforcement tools for Medicare, increases funding to support these efforts and creates new, tougher penalties for individuals who submit false claims to Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that for every $1 we invest in fighting waste, fraud, and abuse we will produce $1.75 in savings.

Question: How much will this bill cost? Answer: The CBO estimates the cost to be $1.042 trillion over 10 years. To pay for this, the bill addresses inefficiencies in Medicare and Medicaid and cracks down on fraud, waste and abuse in these programs to save $465 billion over the next 10 years. An additional $583 billion will have to be raised to cover the rest of the cost. A proposed 1.2 percent tax on the wealthiest income earners would help to pay this cost. The Senate is considering other ways to raise funds, and I expect to review a number of proposals prior to voting on the final bill. Implementation of health information technology for electronic records will save billions of dollars, and moving to generic forms of biologics is projected to save and additional $10 billion over 10 years.

Question: Will this plan lead to rationing of care? Answer: No. Health care decisions should be between a patient and their doctor. The legislation specifically forbids any studies or research from being used to either mandate or deny care to a patient. The legislation significantly increases research funding to gather data about what procedures are most effective in order to give doctors the best possible information when treating their patients.

Question: Will the government be forcing me into euthanasia counseling?

Answer: No. For those who receive Medicare benefits and want to receive end-of-life counseling from their doctor, they can. The legislation allows doctors to receive Medicare reimbursements for this counseling.

Question: Will insurance companies be able to drop patients who have pre-existing conditions?

Answer: No. Insurance companies will be prohibited from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions. The practice of rescission (where insurance companies drop a patient once they become ill) will also be banned.

Contact: Representative Bart Stupak, Michigan 1st District, 2268 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, Phone: (202) 225-4735; Fax: (202) 225-4744.



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Geraldine42 Says:       On November 18, 2009 at 09:17 AM
So, your theory is that if can afford an abortion privately, lucky you! If your are young, impoverished, naive, or low IQ, congratulations! You have a baby to raise even though you are 14 years old?
Oh wait, I forgot: just keep your knees together, right?
Agree? or Disagree?


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