When the current Health Care Reform Bill came to a vote in the House of Representatives, 39 Democrats voted against the bill. The following is a statement issued by one of those 39 members, giving his reasons. Congressman Boucher is not known as a ‘Blue Dog’ and votes with the Democrat caucus most of the time, and served many years as an Assistant Whip.

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Rick Boucher, 9th District, Virginia
November 20, 2009

Dear Friend:

Thank you for sharing with me your concerns regarding the health care reform legislation being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives. I appreciate your taking the time to contact me. I am writing to inform you of my vote against H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which was approved recently by the House.

The status quo of our nation’s health insurance system is unsustainable. As those without insurance are treated in emergency rooms, the high cost of that care is borne by those who have insurance, driving up health insurance costs for everyone. Society as a whole bears the costs. Health insurance premiums are increasing 3.5 times as fast as the rate of increase in family incomes.

The typical family pays an extra $1,100 each year in health insurance premiums as a cost of treating the uninsured. Finding a way to enable everyone to afford health insurance is, therefore, necessary to benefit both the uninsured and those who have insurance. The cost of taking this step will be less than the ever escalating cost those who have insurance will have to bear if the status quo is maintained.

But reform legislation must ensure that Southwest Virginia residents continue to have access to the high quality health care services now delivered locally. I have concerns about numerous provisions in the legislation and, accordingly, I opposed the health care reform measure when it was recently debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Among the reasons I opposed the bill is my concern that a government operated health insurance plan could place at risk the survival of our region’s hospitals. Most of our hospitals are operated on a non-profit basis for the benefit of the community. While most of their receipts are from Medicare and Medicaid payments, they lose money on each Medicare or Medicaid patient they treat. These programs reimburse hospitals at rates below the actual cost of providing patient care.

The financial viability of our hospitals comes from the payments they receive from privately insured patients. A government operated health insurance plan competing with private insurance will crowd out the private insurance market, with the result that the hospitals would treat less privately insured patients and lose these critical revenues that are essential to their survival.

A government operated plan would reimburse health care providers at rates approximating Medicare rates, and hospitals would lose money on each of their patients insured under the government plan.

Families depend on our community hospitals for health care services, and financially healthy hospitals are essential to the health of Southwest Virginians. Not earning profits our hospitals strive simply to make ends meet. Many of our hospitals are financially stressed in normal times, and two hospitals in the district I represent closed for periods of time in recent years for financial reasons. The government operated insurance plan as outlined in the House bill could push many more over the edge. I cannot support legislation that could lead to that result.

I also believe that bipartisan participation is needed on a measure of this scope which affects every American. The best ideas of Democrats and Republicans alike should be drawn upon to fashion the final legislation. That did not happen as the House bill was constructed.

In July, I opposed the health care reform measure when it was considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and expressed my concerns at that time. The bill passed by the House did not address those concerns.
Reform is needed, and I look forward to future steps in the legislative process offering an opportunity for my concerns to be resolved. My goal in health care reform is to ensure that the legislation builds on the current employer-based health insurance system on which millions of Americans depend and that it does not limit the availability of private insurance options. Any government role must be strictly limited.

I am hopeful that legislation can be approved that creates affordable access to health care for all Americans and does so in a way that meets these goals and enables the continued delivery of the excellent care now offered in our region.