As Congress continues to debate the Health Care Bill, Illinois Senator Roland Burris submitted another response on Health Care Reform. Senator Burris offers a number of  points for our consideration.

Let’s pay particular attention to the last sentence of Senator Burris’ note. Our question is: Why don’t we have every single person in the Senate and House with this same mind set?

Dear Bob:

Thank you for contacting me about healthcare reform. I appreciate the benefit of your views.

As your United States Senator, one of my top priorities is to ensure that my constituents have access to affordable, quality healthcare. Today, nearly 3.5 million Illinois residents, 30.8% of the under 65 population, lack health insurance. Those who remain covered face rapidly rising premiums. A Kaiser Family Foundation report found that average insurance premiums have more than doubled in the past nine years, and the New America Foundation projects that, by 2016, coverage costs for an average Illinois family could top $25,000 a year.

In the face of these challenges, I support reforms aimed at improving efficiency and access while reducing cost. A focus on prevention and primary care will help Americans avoid getting sick, saving billions on costly specialist and emergency treatments. Increasing competition in the insurance market, through a public option, will put pressure on insurers to reduce administrative costs, marketing, and high profit margins. This will result in a higher percentage of premiums spent on treatment and a better overall value for consumers. Expanded access to health insurance, provided through affordability credits, will eliminate the $1,200 “hidden tax” that the average insured Illinois resident pays in additional premiums to subsidize expensive emergency care for those who currently cannot afford insurance and bring premium costs within reach for millions of middle class families.

The pending reform effort has received the support of many of the nation’s most prominent medical, consumer, and senior groups. The American Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the American Federation of Hospitals, Families USA, and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) all support reforming our health system, because they know that we face a crisis. As costs skyrocket, more people lose the coverage they need. Patients suffer, and businesses lose productivity. Insurers, hospitals, and doctors lose customers, and the entire healthcare system begins to break down. Currently, 14,000 people lose their insurance every single day. This is not acceptable in America.

A number of groups that profit from the current inefficiencies have spread false rumors about reform. I would like to take this opportunity to correct some of the misinformation.

“Government Takeover”: Some believe that a public insurance option will mean the end of private health insurance. On the contrary, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that if insurance reform passes with a public plan option, the number of people covered by private, employer-sponsored coverage will actually increase.

Rationing: Rationed care will not happen with reform. In fact, the bill takes a number of steps to prevent insurance companies from making your coverage decisions. Insurance reform will restore your doctor’s ability to treat patients properly, without deferring to insurance company bureaucrats who deny coverage and treatments.

Medicare: Rumors abound that reform jeopardizes existing Medicare coverage. The truth is, cutting waste, fraud, and abuse will assure the security of the Medicare trust fund for years to come. In addition, insurance reform will end cost sharing for preventative care, cut the prescription drug “doughnut hole” in half, and lower Medicare premiums.

Abortion: None of the reform proposals being considered would mandate coverage of abortions. Current federal law preventing government funded abortions; except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother; will remain unchanged. All versions of reform include a “conscious protection” clause, which allows doctors the right to refuse to perform an abortion, if doing so conflicts with their values.

Federal Employees: The Senate reform bill requires all Members of Congress and their staffs to enroll in the public insurance exchange. I fully support this proposal, as I believe that we Senators should have a personal stake in the reforms we propose.

Cost: President Obama has repeatedly stated that any reform must not increase the federal budget deficit and must control growth in medical spending. The Senate reform bill reduces our federal budget deficit by more than $100 billion over the next ten years, and takes important steps toward paying for quality, not merely volume of service, in our healthcare system.

Investing in reform now will ensure stability in coverage. President Obama has made very clear that reform will protect Americans’ right to keep their current health insurance policy, but changes will slow the rate of increase in premiums, offer protection and options for those who lose their jobs, and help those who cannot afford insurance.

I will continue to listen closely to what you and other Illinoisans have to say about matters before Congress, the concerns of our communities, and the issues facing Illinois and the nation. My job is not about merely supporting or opposing legislation; it is also about bridging the divide that has paralyzed our nation’s politics.

Sincerely,

Roland W. Burris
United States Senator