Health Care Reform in the NC 11th Congressional District

It becomes more and more obvious that health care reform is needed. In just one short Google search on the NC 11th Congressional district the following information was found. It is appalling that the amount of uninsured in the district. In a quick search of Congressman Shuler’s official website (http://shuler.house.gov/ or http://shuler.house.gov/legislation-all.shtml) I found nothing related to the current debate on health care reform. Maybe you can find it. The handwringing and nay saying in Congress must stop. We elected these folks to pass progressive legislation. We lived with eight years of screw you politics and we see what that got us. Two wars and a huge debt.

One of the excuses I have heard is “the legislation does not bend the cost enough to make a difference.” Which cost curve are we discussing? Insurance company cost curve? Government cost curve? Individual cost curve? Simply stated this is a smoke and mirror tactic to put the debater on the defensive as the average constituent will not know what “cost curve” to address. I know the cost of my insurance keeps going up and services down. I am also concerned that when needed the insurance policy I have paid into for years will simply say “too bad we don’t cover that”. I have had many heated discussion with an insurance company that they never complained when I sent the premiums in now they want to complain when it is time for them to do what I paid them to do. Then the insurance company wants you send them additional paperwork, phone calls, etc just like you work for them. Failing to do so results in your claim being denied. Try it sometime.

Another excuse I have heard about this legislation is that we all should live healthier. More physical activity, better diet, etc. this is all good but an apple a day will not keep the doctor away. People are working more hours in order to make ends meet. We all don’t have Congressional gyms at our disposal, nor doctors on staff to treat minor illnesses and injuries before they become more serious, which by the way is government run health care for Congress.

So while I am pointing to the 11th Congressional District in North Carolina with my rant. This is notice to Senator Burr and Senator Hagan too. We the voters and continents are watching we will hold you accountable at the polls in one year and five years respectively.

No more begging for health care.

From Dr. Ed Morris’s Article published in the Macon County News

Why we need health insurance reform: A physician’s viewpoint
Thursday, 29 October 2009

“While our present system causes needless deaths and suffering to millions without insurance, the health insurance industry makes enormous profits and gives unbelievably excessive executive salaries. When our compassionate and warmhearted citizens examine the hardships caused by our present health care system to our neighbors, I believe they will agree with the urgent need for health insurance reform.”

“A recent Harvard Medical School study showed that the death rate among the uninsured has increased 15 percent since 1993 and is now 40 percent higher for uninsured compared to those with health insurance. The uninsured have a higher risk of death when compared to the insured, even after taking into account scioeconomics, health behaviors, and baseline health.”

“Our 11th Congressional District has the 5th highest rate of uninsured (23 percent) of all 435 districts in the country. This means that over 154,000 of your friends and neighbors have a 40 percent higher chance of dying because they cannot afford health insurance.”

“So what benefits would we get by a change in the system? The most obvious is control of skyrocketing cost. Over the last ten years health insurance costs have doubled and outof- pocket expenses for each of us have increased by one-third. Not only have costs doubled (and they will double again in 10 years without reform), even those with insurance who think they are adequately covered may have critical financial problems if they have a serious illness. Medically related bankruptcies have increased 50 percent over the past six years and now 62 percent of all bankruptcies are medically related. Threequarters of the people with a medically related bankruptcy had health insurance. In Western North Carolina there were 700 health care-related bankruptcies in 2008 (Congressional Committee on Energy and Commerce).”

“From 2000 to 2007 profits went up 428 percent, from $2.4 billion to $12.7 billion just among the top ten insurance companies. This was on top of the shocking executive salaries. In our state, Bob Greczyn, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC made $3.99 million in 2008. However, that still puts him far behind Aetna’s CEO, who made $24.3 million last year. Both are still way behind William McGuire, the former CEO of United Health Group, who received $800 million in compensation in the form of stock options (New York Times, 2007).”

http://www.maconnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5783&...

“About 23 percent of the district’s residents have no health insurance coverage today. ”

“Passage of H.R. 3200 means most people will be insured. It also means millions more dollars in revenue and greater stability for hospitals.”

“Hospitals that serve the 11th congressional district of North Carolina and report uncompensated care listed $128.1 million in annual uncompensated care costs in recent years. ”
“Under the House reform bill, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that when fully implemented the number of uninsured nationwide will fall from 16 million, a 69 percent decline from the 51 million there would be without reform. In the 11th congressional district, the number of uninsured is projected to drop from 154,000 to 20,000. ”
http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:70raGAJUpbIJ:healthcareforamericano...

http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090724/NC11.Shuler.pdf

http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/07/16/231-of-wnc/

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=NC&district=11