Thank you for contacting AARP regarding H. R. 676 - the United States
National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare
for All Act). It is my pleasure to provide you some information
regarding this legislation.
AARP strongly believes comprehensive healthcare reform that
guarantees coverage, improves quality, and lowers costs should be an
urgent priority. However, we do not support H.R. 676 for the
following reasons.
First, H.R. 676 does not address the problem of increasing healthcare
costs. Rather, it allows costs to continue to grow. By 2016,
projections show total health spending almost doubling to $4.1
trillion and consuming one-fifth of the nation's gross domestic
product. Possible efforts to control costs include: "comparative
effectiveness" research, a generic pathway for biologic drugs, and
increased attention to prevention and care coordination, none of
which are included in H.R. 676.
Additionally, H. R. 676 essentially eliminates Medicare, Medicaid,
and the SCHIP programs that have served the American public well for
many years. These programs have very finely tuned financing
arrangements and have adapted their coverage to meet the needs of
many Americans. Starting over with a new, "single-payer" program
will not eliminate the problems Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP
currently face, such as the spiraling costs of procedures and
prescription medications, as well as technological advances that are
often not comprehensively tested to be proven safe or effective
before marketing.
H. R. 676 does not promote shared responsibility for healthcare
coverage among employers, employees and the government - a basic
principle of AARP policy. The bill would relieve employers and
individuals of their obligation to contribute toward healthcare
coverage. Therefore, even with the trust fund contained in the bill
and other sources of funding, the single-payer system cannot remain
solvent for long. Taxes will need to be increased. This means that
the bill simply shifts the burden of the rising costs of health care
onto the taxpayer alone, with no motivation built in its structure
for cost-containment.
In addition H.R. 676 has not gathered bipartisan support which is
important to enacting and implementing any reform.
We do, however, support comprehensive healthcare reform. We will
continue to monitor H.R. 676 and other legislation regarding the
crucial issue of adequate health care for all. We believe quality
health care and protecting lifetime financial security are the most
pressing domestic issues facing our nation. The time for action is
now. Therefore, it is vital that Congress deliver healthcare
legislation with the strength to elicit bipartisan support and end
the gridlock that continues to obstruct positive change in our
country.
I want to share with you some information about "Divided We Fail,"
our initiative to give voice to millions of Americans who are tired
of letting Washington gridlock stand in the way of affordable,
quality health care and long-term financial security - the most
pressing domestic issues facing our nation. Common sense solutions
are needed, and everyone - individuals, businesses and government -
has a role and a responsibility in ensuring health and financial
security for all.
Already, more than 600,000 people have joined in our "Millions of
Voices for Change" effort by signing the Divided We Fail pledge or
sharing a personal story on their struggles to maintain health and
financial security for themselves and their family. We are using
these pledges and stories to let the candidates and our elected
leaders know, the time for action on health and financial security is
now. It is critically important for each of us to stand up, speak
out and demand action. To learn more about Divided We Fail you can
visit www.dividedwefail.org from your home computer or at your local
library.
Health and financial security are the foundations of the American
dream. If we stand together and raise our voices, we can get our
elected official to create a society that will make life better for
all generations. Divided we fail, together we can do anything.
Thank you again for getting in touch with us. It is vital that we
maintain open dialogue with our members, so we do appreciate hearing
from you. If there is anything we can discuss with you in the
future, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
June
Member Communications
Member@aarp.org
Toll-free 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
Toll-free 1-877-434-7598 TTY
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So ask AARP members this about the insurance they get from AARP and elsewhere:
ReplyDeleteIF YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, DOES YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE COVER OSELTAMVIR (TAMIFLU) OR ZANAMIVIR (RELENZA), THE MOST COMMON TREATMENTS FOR H1N1 FLU (SWINE FLU)? These treatments should be started within 48 hours of illness.
The potential H1N1 flu (swine flu) pandemic in America offers yet another example of the health risk that 1500 fragmented private health insurance corporations place on Amercians. Not all private insurance corporation formularies offer Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or zanamivir (Relenza), to patients. These treatments, the only treatments that have been shown to have any effect on H1N1 flu, may be denied outright by your insurance carrier.
Or, physicians and patients may be required to go through the standard lengthy and expensive pre-authorization process in order to beg the bureaucrats who control the insurance company pharmacies for the most appropriate antiviral treatment for H1N1 flu.
In addition, the disconnected electronic medical records and disease monitoring and billing systems of the 1500 separate American private health insurance companies prevents timely epidemiological diagnosis and targeting of pandemics, thereby delaying the response of doctors and public health officials.
WITH SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL, INTEGRATED WITH A SINGLE EMR AND BILLING SYSTEM, FOCI OF DISEASES OR BIO-NUCLEAR TERRORISM COULD BE INSTANTLY IDENTIFIED, ISOLATED AND TREATED WITH AN AFFORDABLE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG AND THERAPEUTIC FORMULARY.
This possible H1N1 flue (swine flu) pandemic demonstrates yet another dangerous deficiency of private insurance companies which serve no real purpose in the health and well being of Americans.