Response from Senator regarding Health Care Reform

Email to Constituent | 10/06/2009 | Sherrod Brown

[PubliusMM]

Dear XXXXXXXXXXX:

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding health care.

Since first coming to Congress in 1993, I have refused to enroll in the coverage offered to members of Congress until every American has access to high-quality, affordable health insurance. Should a health care reform bill pass that offers a public insurance option, I would be pleased to enroll.

I strongly believe that our health care system is in need of reform. First and foremost, we must reduce the long-term growth of health care costs for patients, taxpayers, and businesses; protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health expenditures; guarantee a choice of doctors and health plans; invest in prevention and wellness; improve patient safety and quality of care; assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans; and end barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

One promising solution to the problems of cost, quality, and access that plague our health care system is to increase competition in the health insurance market. If the private insurance industry was truly competitive, then there would be strong incentives to provide coverage to as many Americans as possible and to build customer loyalty through cost savings and quality improvements. Unfortunately, insurers do not truly compete against one another; instead, they make use of the same basic strategies to earn significant profits. These tactics include selectively insuring the lowest risk enrollees, slow-walking claims payments so they can earn interest on every premium dollar, and denying as many claims as possible.

What the insurance industry needs is some healthy competition from a public insurance option. This option would not replace employer-sponsored coverage and no one would be forced into it; the public option would simply give uninsured or underinsured Americans the choice of enrolling in an insurance plan that does not engage in the same cost-avoidance tactics as private insurance plans do. The public health insurance option would also be a vehicle for improvements in quality, coverage, and provider-access that sets the bar higher for private insurance plans. This option would be available to all Americans: both private and government employees, including members of Congress and their staffs.

Since Congress began debating health reform, an overwhelming number of people in Ohio have contacted me. I appreciate this input and am carefully considering the thoughts, questions, and concerns that you and other Ohioans have shared with me.

In particular, some individuals and small businesses have cited proposals to tax employer-sponsored health benefits or tax the top 1% of income earners in order to help pay for health reform. Others have mentioned proposals that would help pay the insurance subsidies of low-income, uninsured Americans by collecting fees from medium and large employers that do not offer employer-sponsored insurance. Finally, many seniors and retirees have shared concerns about the continued availability of quality health care coverage for older Americans.

The House and Senate are still in the process of drafting this health care legislation and a final bill has not yet been released. The Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee spent several weeks working to pass a health reform bill that includes 161 provisions promoted by Republican senators. That bill is available online at www.help.senate.gov. Individuals interested in the progress of the Finance Committee’s health reform bill can visit www.finance.senate.gov to review the plan, its proposed amendments, and budget estimates.

I support giving every member of Congress, and every member of the public, time to review the bill. I also strongly agree that health insurance reform must not ignore seniors and must benefit Ohio's small businesses and manufacturers. Please be assured that I am considering all the options carefully. As Congress moves forward on health insurance reform, I will certainly work to address the issues contained in your letter.

If you wish to learn more about my work on health reform as well as the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that Ohioans have posed to my office, please visit my website at:

http://brown.senate.gov/issues_and_agenda/stories/share/?issue_id=f565635b-e37a-45d3-b15f-edf6b930bd1a.

Thank you again for getting in touch with me on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown United States Senator

[PubliusMM]

Just received this message from Sherrod Brown's office. It's his response to my demand that he work to defeat the anti-Constitutional health care deform the dhimmirats are cooking up. Interesting that he's never signed up for the Congressional health care program...but not interesting enough to get my support.

[combat_boots]

Remember this and think how this goes:

Q:
You want I should make a decision on Afghanistan and make certain to not put our guys in the line of fire (calling Rosa Brooks)?

A:
Pass 0bamacare.

Ah, yes. The line from “The Godfather” comes to mind:
“You disrespect me and now you want me to do you a favor?”

[kabar]

He probably gets his health care coverage from his wife's plan. The federal coverage uses a menu of private plans that you can change on a annual basis. The USG pays about 70% of the costs. It is quite conceivable that Brown has access to a better plan at less cost.

The fact that Brown uses this as some sort of altruistic act raises red flags to me. I would like to see what health care plan he has and what he pays for it.

[Faith]

He probably gets his health care coverage from his wife's plan.

You betcha.

[kabar]

What the insurance industry needs is some healthy competition from a public insurance option."

This is reason enough to defeat this bastard.

[oldbill]

Colin Powell’s only great moment was when he confronted then-Congressman (and military shirker) Sherrod Brown on George Bush’s National Guard service.

[freekitty]

Does he know the government run health care plan and the private perked Congress are not one and the same?