Senator Mikulski on Health Care Reform

As you know I wrote to my legislators regarding health care reform. The first to respond is Senator Barbara Mikulski.

Read what she has to say. Definitely sounds to me like she thinks she is doing GREAT job.
Let me know what you think.

Dear Mr. Wolfe:

Thank you for getting in touch with me about health care reform. I'm so glad to hear from you.

Health care is one of the most important issues facing families and our economy. We absolutely need to pass comprehensive health reform that:

-reduces costs for families, business and government
-protects people's choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans
-assures affordable, quality health care for all Americans

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, I helped write the Affordable Health Choices Act, which was passed by our committee on July 15, 2009. This bill takes a giant step forward in providing health care that is available, undeniable and affordable for all Americans.

Our legislation protects choice of providers and plans, so if you like the coverage that you have, you will be able to keep it. We also take steps to fix what is broken. Our bill establishes insurance reforms and creates a strong public health insurance option so people can choose the health care plan that's right for them.

This legislation focuses on transforming the health care delivery system by focusing on public health, prevention and wellness programs. As the chair of the Quality Working Group, I wrote the section of the bill that would:

-improve care coordination and better manage chronic conditions
-use innovative practices to reduce medical errors and unnecessary hospital readmissions

The HELP committee bill also fixes basic inequities in the current system:

-ends discrimination on the basis of age, gender, or a pre-existing condition including denial of coverage and increased premiums
-eliminates lifetime and annual caps on benefits so that insurance companies can no longer just stop paying if your medical expenses are high
-allows young people extra time on their parents' insurance policy as they make the transition from school into jobs that offer them health coverage

Families and business are facing staggering health care costs. Premiums have doubled over the last 10 years. Without reform, these costs will continue to rise. The HELP bill reduces costs by:

-reducing administrative costs
-reducing medical and medication errors
-preventing hospital readmissions
-better managing chronic diseases
-reducing fraud and abuse in the health care system
-eliminating waste through promoting effective, evidence based medicine

This is a historic moment. Forty years ago, the United States of America landed a man on the moon. I think that's a wonderful achievement. But if we can send people into space and be able to afford to do it, we can also help people get to a doctor and be able to afford to do it.

Thanks once again for writing. Please let me know if I can be of assistance in the future.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator