Tom Perriello |
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By STAFF REPORTS -
The Affordable Health Care for America Act barely passed the House last weekend, with two regional congressman, both Democrats, parting ways on the legislation.
Fifth District Congressman Tom Perriello voted in favor of the bill while Ninth District Rep. Rick Boucher opposed it.
Virginia State Senator Robert Hurt, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against Perriello next year, also opposed the bill.
Perriello said he voted for the House health care reform bill in part because it met three "key litmus tests" he set out.
Those "tests" included reducing the federal deficit, ensuring equitable reimbursements for rural hospitals and providing no federal funding for abortion.
The independent Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the legislation reduces the federal deficit by $109 billion in the first decade (2010-2019) and is likely to reduce deficits in the decade following 2019 by up to one quarter of 1 percent of GDP, a press release by Perriello release stated.
The bill would also direct the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study geographic inequities in Medicare reimbursement rates and would direct the secretary to revise payment rates based on the IOM's findings.
Perriello voted in favor of the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which ensures that no federal funds will be used for abortion, the release said.
But Boucher cited the continuing existence of disparities between Medicare reimbursements for rural and urban areas as a problem with the bill.
"Rural areas have traditionally received less under Medicare than urban areas, and while the bill makes some improvements in this regard, I would like to see more done to increase the payments to rural health care providers," he said in a news release. "Higher Medicare reimbursements would enable the attraction of more doctors to serve our medically underserved region."
Boucher also cited several concerns he has about the government-run insurance plan included in the bill, which often is called the "public option." That plan could place the survival of the region's hospitals at risk, he said.
Hospitals in the district lose money on each Medicare or Medicaid patient they treat, Boucher said, because both programs reimburse hospitals at rates below the costs of the care.
"The financial viability of our hospitals comes from the payments they receive from privately insured patients," Boucher said. "A government operated health insurance plan competing with private insurance will attract patients who are privately insured today, with the result that the hospitals would treat less privately insured patients and lose the critical revenues that are essential to their survival."
The government health care plan authorized by the legislation would use reimbursement rates similar to Medicare rates, causing hospitals to lose money on each patient with government insurance, Boucher said.
He pointed out that many of the district's hospitals, most of which are nonprofit, "are financially stressed in normal times." Two, including one in Patrick County, have faced closure in recent years for financial reasons.
"The government owned insurance plan as outlined in the House bill could push many more over the edge," he said. "I cannot support legislation that could lead to that result."
Hurt said that Perriello held 21 town hall meetings this summer in which Central and Southside Virginians expressed opposition to a government takeover of health care, but he said Perriello ignored those concerns.
Hurt called the bill "a devastating blow to our economy at just the wrong time. With job losses continuing to mount, Congressman Perriello voted to raise taxes on small businesses. With seniors getting squeezed, he voted to slash Medicare benefits. With Virginians working harder for less, he voted to give taxpayer-funded health care benefits to illegal immigrants. Because of our congressman's actions, one-sixth of our economy may be subject to government control."
Hurt predicted that as a result of the bill, "premiums will rise even faster, bureaucrats will be in charge of health care decisions and the quality of patient care will suffer."
But in his press release Perriello listed several points in the bill that, if included in a final version, he said would benefit families and small businesses in the 5th District, including:
" Improves care for those already covered by employer-sponsored plans. Individuals and families with employer-based coverage would keep the health insurance coverage they have now, and it would get better, his release stated.
There would be no co-pays or deductibles for preventive care; no more rate increases or coverage denials for pre-existing conditions, gender or occupation; and guaranteed oral, vision and hearing benefits for children.
" Closing the Medicare Part D prescription drug "donut" hole. Each year, 12,500 seniors in the 5th District hit the Medicare Part D donut hole and must pay their full drug costs. The legislation would cover the first $500 of donut hole costs in 2010, cutting brand-name drug costs in the donut hole by 50 percent and eliminating the donut hole by 2019, the release states.
" Protecting and improving Medicare for the 130,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the district. The legislation would provide free preventive and wellness care, improve primary and coordinated care, improve nursing home quality and strengthen the Medicare Trust Fund, according to the release. Also, the release stated, the bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
" Would make coverage available for purchase by the 10,700 district residents with pre-existing conditions.
" Health care and financial security. 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 release states. The bill would cap annual out-of-pocket costs at $5,000 for singles and $10,000 for families and eliminate lifetime limits on insurance coverage.
The health care debate now moves to the Senate.
Perriello said he "will work with my colleagues in the Senate to push for better interstate competition."
Amanda Buck with the Martinsville Bulletin contributed to this article. |
