Improving Healthcare For The 5th District Of Virginia

Statement

The House of Representatives recently passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which will make health care affordable for the middle class, provide security for seniors, and reduce the federal deficit. After months of listening to constituents, doctors, and seniors around the 5th District, I cast my vote in favor of this bill because we cannot sit back and let health care costs continue to crush middle-class families and our seniors.

Whether for or against health care reform, most people in the 5th District asked me to fight for deficit reduction, a fair shake for rural doctors, and no federal funding for abortion--and all three were part of the final bill that passed. The independent Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the legislation reduces the federal deficit by $109 billion. It ensures equitable reimbursement for rural hospitals by directing revised payment rates based on geographic inequities. Lastly, I voted in favor of the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which ensures that no federal funds will be used for abortion.

Our work on this bill is not over. As health care legislation advances through Congress, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to push for better inter-state competition. But I am proud of the changes I fought for. After hearing from my constituents during over 100 hours of town hall meetings in August, and by continuing those conversations in the months since, I worked to include their ideas in the bill, pushing for legislation that now protects Medicare, ensures deficit neutrality, encourages wellness and preventive care, and protects small businesses. However, I recognize that some will be disappointed that any version of this reform passed the House, and I respect the time you took to share those views.

Each year, 12,500 seniors in the 5th District hit the Medicare Part D "donut" hole and are forced to pay their full drug costs. The legislation will provide these seniors with immediate relief, covering the first $500 of donut hole costs in 2010, cutting brand-name drug costs in the donut hole by 50%, and completely eliminating the donut hole by 2019. The bill also directs the Secretary of HHS to negotiate for cheaper drug prices and extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund.

As well, there are 10,700 individuals in the 5th district who have pre-existing medical conditions that could prevent them from buying insurance. Under the bill's insurance reforms, they will now be able to purchase affordable coverage.

Additionally, there were 1,200 health care-related bankruptcies in the 5th district in 2008, caused primarily by the health care costs not covered by insurance. The bill caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $5,000 for singles and $10,000 for families and eliminates lifetime limits on insurance coverage, ensuring that no citizen will have to face financial ruin because of high health care costs.

This legislation has been endorsed by the AARP, the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Consumer Reports, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, among others. There's sure to be a lot of misinformation disseminated from opponents of the bill, so I encourage 5th District residents to seek out independent sources to learn more about how the legislation could affect them.

I voted for this bill because Virginians deserve a competitive health care market and lower costs. They deserve access to affordable health care, and they deserve better choices when purchasing insurance. This bill will achieve all that and more, and I look forward to seeing it become law.

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