Thompson Backs Health Reform, Issues Message Days Before Supreme Court Debate

What do you think of the president's health care legislation, which includes far-reaching policies — ranging from a mandate requiring most Americans to have insurance, to the implementation of electronic health records to halting providers from rejecting care to people with pre-existing conditions?

The Supreme Court next week is slated to take up the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Today, Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, who is running in 2012 to represent Rohnert Park and the new District 5, issued a statement on the issue. Here it is in its entirety:

Dear Friend,

Two years ago today, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. During these two short years, the law has improved health care access for millions, and saved people across our district and nation billions of dollars on prescription drugs and health insurance premiums. Yet despite the early success, and the even greater promise offered by health care reform, some in Washington target it for cheap political games.   

We have heard the false claims of exploding deficits due to health care reform. We’ve seen fear-mongers talk about government overreaches and power grabs. No issue has been more politically divisive than the Affordable Care Act. After two years, it is time to put politics aside and look at the facts:

•    If you are a senior, you are now receiving a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs when you are in the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ coverage gap. More than 3.5 million seniors have already received the discount, saving a total of more than $2 billion. More than 6,000 seniors in our district have already received prescription drug discounts worth more than $3 million dollars. That is an average of more than $500 per senior. Also, under Medicare, seniors now receive a free annual wellness visit and important preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies.

•    If you are a woman, you can no longer be dropped by your insurance company if you become pregnant or get sick.

•    If you are a young adult, you can now join or stay on your parents’ health plan until your 26th birthday, if you do not have coverage of your own. 2.5 million young people have gained insurance over the last year. 7,600 young adults in our district now have health insurance because of this change.

•    If you have children younger than age 19, they can no longer be denied coverage by an insurance company for having a pre-existing condition. Up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions are now protected from discrimination. In our district, 37,000 children can no longer be denied coverage by insurers.
 
•    If you own a small business, you can receive tax credits if you choose to offer coverage to your employees.

•    If you are one of the 165 million privately-insured Americans, you can no longer be dropped from coverage by your insurance company because you get sick, and your insurance company can no longer place a lifetime limit on your coverage. In our district, 460,000 residents no longer have to worry that their insurers will drop their coverage when they need it most.

•    By spurring competition, the Affordable Care Act is expanding the current private health insurance system, guaranteeing more health care choices, and enhancing the quality and affordability of health care for all Americans.

•    The Affordable Care Act did not add to our nation’s debt.  The independent Congressional Budget Office determined that the Affordable Care Act will decrease our debt by at least $100 billion in the next decade and even more in the decade after that.

•    The Affordable Care Act did not kill jobs. In fact, 3.5 million private sector jobs have been created since the health care law was enacted in March 2010. Of those 3.5 million jobs, 488,000 of them have been in the health care industry.

By 2014, virtually all of the law will go into effect, making even more improvements to our health care system. More than 32 million people who are currently uninsured will gain access to affordable coverage. It will put an end to the hidden taxes that all insured individuals currently pay for emergency room visits by people without insurance. Women will no longer be charged substantially higher premiums than men for the same coverage, and being a woman can no longer be treated as a “pre-existing condition” by insurance companies.

As the husband of a family nurse practitioner, and a senior member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, I know firsthand the challenges that exist in our current health care system. For more than two decades I have worked to make health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.   

The truth is that reforming our health care system is an ongoing process that will not be completed with the passage of any one bill. And, while the new health care law is far from perfect, it is not killing jobs, denying choice or driving our county into debt. It is saving lives and saving people money. It is an important first step toward making quality, affordable health care a reality for all Americans.

In the months and years ahead, we need to put politics aside, focus on the facts and work together to further improve our nation’s health care system. By building on the reforms made in the Affordable Care Act, we can make sure every American can afford to go to the doctor. And that’s what matters.

Sincerely, Mike Thompson