"There is no question that we need reform to reduce skyrocketing medical costs and improve access to quality care for all Michigan families, but it is imperative that the cure is not worse than the disease.

While most agree there is room for improvement and cost savings, we cannot destroy our current health care system, which works well for so many, and replace it with a government-run plan that adds hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit, costs jobs and erodes the quality of care.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee narrowly passed the original Waxman-Pelosi bill, H.R. 3200, by a vote of 31 to 28 on July 31st. I voted against the bill as I strongly oppose a government takeover of healthcare. When using a formula developed by the Chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, the employer mandates imposed by this legislation could result in as many as 5 million lost jobs. Many employers in southwest Michigan have warned that the added costs of compliance would force substantial job cuts. Additionally, under the House plan, nearly two-thirds of folks could lose their current coverage, including over 100 million who receive employer-provided health benefits. Over 10 million seniors would also lose their Medicare Advantage coverage and more than 8 million Health Savings Accounts would be subject to a tax penalty.

The bill was again brought before our committee in late September, offering a unique opportunity to have a thoughtful discussion on the concerns that our constituents had raised during August over this radical overhaul – yet our efforts were thwarted. Committee Republicans answered the President’s call on a whole host of issues to reach a bipartisan consensus, yet Chairman Waxman prevented a simple up-or-down vote. It is disappointing that the many concerns raised by folks across the country have fallen on deaf ears.

And, last week, Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Waxman seemed to double-down, despite all of the criticism of H.R. 3200, in introducing a 1,990-page bill that still has the same pitfalls as before and a price tax of nearly $1.3 trillion over the first ten years. (The newspaper Politico pegged the cost of the new bill at $2.24 million per word.) Not to mention, in the new bill, H.R. 3962, many of the Republican amendments that were adopted during the committee process have either been gutted or completely stripped out. The plan stands to penalize families and businesses that do not conform to specific federal standards of coverage, while the “government option” would drive many private providers out of the market.

We should be pursuing commonsense reforms that will make a difference to all Americans and keep costs down: Employer Incentives: incentivize companies to provide health insurance for their workers; Tort Reform: reduce frivolous lawsuits, which lead to unnecessary testing, and reduce the crippling cost of malpractice insurance; Portability: allow workers to “carry” their insurance from employer to employer if they change jobs; Preexisting Conditions: deny insurance companies the ability to prohibit coverage for preexisting illnesses which limits access and drives up costs; Preventative Health Care: offer incentives to encourage healthy lifestyles; Medical Research: continue funding to find a cure for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other serious conditions; Out-of-State Insurance: allow insurance policies to be sold across state lines, providing more choices and competition; Tax Credits: individuals without employer-provided healthcare coverage should be eligible for a tax credit to buy coverage; Pooling: allow professional groups to share risks and lower costs; Medical Savings Accounts: expand existing programs to allow patients more freedom to spend their health care dollars and allow unspent dollars to be rolled into long-term plans; Fraud: attack fraud and abuse that costs tens of billions of dollars; Technology: technology must be upgraded in order to improve patient safety and allow quick, secure and reliable access to medical records, all while reducing costs and cutting bureaucracy.

Democrat leaders and White House officials are now meeting behind closed doors, finalizing a plan that stands to impact every single American. I recently joined over 100 House members demanding that all meetings to finalize sweeping health care reform be conducted in full view of the public. The measure also partners with the bipartisan effort to mandate that all legislation before the House of Representatives be made public for at least 72 hours before being brought to a vote. Any bill of this magnitude, especially one with a trillion-dollar price tag that will impact one-sixth of our economy, should be done in the open under the watchful eye of the American people.

Our health care system needs serious reforms, but we cannot mandate drastic change at the expense of jobs or by jeopardizing the benefits we presently enjoy. The last thing we need to do is rush through a massive new government program that does real and lasting damage to our current system and all those covered under it, while piling an avalanche of debt on our children and grandchildren.

It is time to head back to the negotiating table, allow all parties to have their voices heard, and reach a sensible, bipartisan solution that provides improved access and affordable care for all. "
-Fred Upton, MI

Disagree?

Give old Fredders a call: (202) 225-3761