Live at congressman Lynch Town Hall Meeting

This is the first forum in this district. He thanks the students and the staff. The purpose of this forum is to allow the Congressman to hear our thoughts and concerns about the various plans in congress. He will also share his views. After that he will spend two hours taking questions. He is differentiating between the house and senate bills. There are difference in each version but those will be reconciled during the legislative process. He is familiar with HR3200. He has read it. (Applause) “A poor way to spend ones vacation” (laughter) There have been 80 amendments added to this bill.

The president has also submitted a 100 page list of goals and priorities. There will be an address by President Obama which might add to those goals.

Congressman Lynch reports that while he was reading the bill he had the opportunity to ask questions of his staff and those knowledgeable of the “dense and complex material” outlined in the bill. He is not surprised that there are a lot of opinions because healthcare is a deeply personal area.

He does not intend to see this debate become uncivilized (applause) and because this situation is so fluid, the Congressman does not feel that he is here to sell us anything. He will share his concerns and will hear ours. He has not made up his mind on how to vote (applause). He also reserves the right to read the FINAL copy of the bill before making up his mind (applause). He reports a concern that the anger and frustration has been orchestrated, but he feels that those concerns, in this district, are legitimate. It is important that we realize one thing “there was talk back in jly that some elements in congress were going to try to rush a bill…prior to us having any discussion about it…I just want you to know, had that happened…I was prepared at that time, and I would have voted against this proposal.” (huge applause). He would have done this because of the lack of discussion and the lack of a full understanding of the consequences of this bill. He intends to approach this task as a lawmaker—whether this bill will function as intended: to control costs and expand access to healthcare.

Rule in congress: “These bills are never as perfect as the proponents declare them to be, at the same time, these bills are never as horrendous as the opponents declare them to be.”

He takes very seriously his responsibility to represent the 9th congressional district. He represents 640,000 people, 19 towns and two cities. He doesn’t think we will have unanimous agreement, but we will have a full and fair discussion which will make his decision informed.

6:16 PM

Ken is giving us the flight attendant speech—exits to the right and left, restrooms outside.

“Colleges exist…for the pursuit of understanding and truth.” He is reminding us again that we must listen to competing points of view. This process should allow the maximum number of people to share their thoughts and concerns. This input will shape the Congressman’s decisions. Tickets will be pulled from a box. Mics will be brought to those with “winning tickets”

6:18 PM

First Question: South Boston, How many uninsured do you believe are living in the United States right now?

Response: There have been a menu of studies, it is a range depending on which. Congressman Lynch has seen as low as 29 million, but he has seen 46-49 million.

Follow-up: I have heard millions of illegal immigrants and 9 million young people who don’t need insurance and millions who pay for their own care. Why can’t we, I don’t think we should pay for the illegal immigrants, find out the Americans who truly cannot pay and make a plan for them. “I DON’T WANT MY HEALTHCARE MESSED WITH.”

Follow-up Response: This bill has a second that precludes covering illegal aliens. This bill does not provide insurance to illegal aliens. The Congressman heard that number as well, about the young people, the Congressman remembers being was 18-29 and healthy as a horse. He recognizes that we do have a lot of young people who end up needing healthcare. The S-Chip program covers minors up to age 18. But 18-29 does have a huge block of people. But there are plenty of cases where those people should be covered. “And I think that is the goal here, to provide Universal Coverage (applause) adds: when you think about it. When you think about it.” “If this country is going to live up to our highest ideals, I think it lives up to our aspirations to allow every human being in this country to have healthcare and not have to worry about coverage. The question for me, legislatively is do we have to do everything for everyone at once” However, this bill goes after things that aren’t broken. The goal should be to provide universal coverage, but we have to find out how to do that without destroying the system for people who enjoy their coverage.

6:28 PM

Second Question: Braintree, My question has to do with tort reform. That wasn’t addressed early in the bill and howard Dean said that wasn’t dealt with in order to avoid a fight with Lawyers. Wouldn’t this help to address the amount of money going to doctors and hospitals?

Response: The Congressman gives credit to the President in his desire to bring all the stake holders to the table. One of the stakeholders are the attorneys. He talked with his doctor about tort reform. The doctor indicated that tort reform is important. A lot of the reason that physicians order a lot of tests, then if a person gets ill the doctor fears getting sued. Malpractice insurance adds costs to the doctor and forces defensive medicine and adds costs to the system. The Congressman feels that if we outline a protocol for doctors for certain conditions (e.g. diabetes) following those protocols would allow them to be exempt from lawsuit. He also wonders about capping the amount that a person can request in a suit. The congressman wants lawyer buy-in and feels that the costs will rise if they do not come to the table.

Third Question: Retired in Auburndale, Strongly supports a public option (whistles and applause), and she wants a stong public plan that will increase competition, reduce premiums and allow access to as many as possible. She asks if the congressman will support this type of option, and is confused about where the Congressman stands on the Public Option.

Response: “It depends on what the public option is, how its constructed and what it offers to those places in it” He feels that medicaid, as a catch-all program, is by design a program catches the neediest but does not do a whole lot to reduce health costs in general. This bill would target 500 billion dollars in savings from medicare. “So if you are a big fan of medicare, you have to be cautious and ask questions about how this public option might work” This would be a plan, that would be out there like all the others, and this would be a plan that would be out there and about 10-20 percent cheaper than the private plans. The downward pressure that that would apply on private plans would reduce costs. The problem is this: we have no history with medicare or any other publically provided program that has exercised any pressure on private programs. Even with some downward pressure, we are still seeing costs rise at rates higher than inflation rates. The Congressman agrees with the president that the trend needs to change but feels that this is a “trillion dollar bet” on something that is untried at this point. He feels that this is a double edged sword. The congressman spoke with a person at Tufts and the person said “what happens if I work for a company that provides my insurance, but you democrats are saying I ca
n keep my own doctor…what happens if our competitors go with the public option…and my company discontinues my insurance and I end up with a public plan…I won’t be able to keep my own doctor because my insurer provides that. Can you guarantee that this won’t happen?” And the congressman can’t guarantee that. One last thing on the public option: This is supposed to work and compete with the private options. “Well, if we have folks that end up on that option…with private companies we let them go out of business except the big ones and we save those (applause)…the question is, with the public option, if that starts to go out of business, they say there will be no bail out, but you know what, if I have poor families on that option…there will be tremendous pressure to keep that in business.” This is where the Congressman’s caution comes from. He wants to know if this will work or not work? And that will be the basis of his decision.

6:45 PM

Fourth Question: Dorchester. My understanding, as of now, as a federal employee, you get to go and choose whatever plan you want. Do you mind sharing what you pay?

Response: No. The congressman lists off all of the people that are in this plan. He also notes that there are 230 selections. His wife and two daughters have plan that is 1,057 dollars and he pays 357 dollars per month.

Follow-up: My question is “why can’t I get that choice?”

Response: “Well, under the current system, if you worked for a company with 8 mil. employees you would get that choice.” The congressman reports that when he worked for the Ironworkers union, he had just as good insurance. There proposed system would give you this kind of choice through the exchange. Everyone would have the option of making the choice thought his exchange. Those numbers, collectively, would be leverage to make the insurers come to the table. There is, now, state-by-state regulation on companies. The companies can cherry-pick customers and can stay out of certain states. One of the things, the exchange would correct, would prevent the companies from doing business in one state versus another.

6:51 PM

Fifth Question: ______ (town), Democratic reform will lead to rationing and bureaucratic waste, how will this be paid for?

Response: That’s a great question. “I’m not sure how big this bureaucracy will be.” The congressman is really concerned with the length of this bill (laughter). He tells us that the bill defines a commissioner of health exchange and he does feel that there will be a big bureaucracy—he feels her fears are real. This advisory board and health commissioner will determine what services need to be provided in a basic, enhanced and premium plan. He feels that this will cost, at the high end 1.6 trillion. He feels that this is a how cost estimate. Especially if this does not reduce the costs of health care. He addresses the ways to pay for this: There are cost savings that are proposed. 500 billion savings from Medicare, but the congressman cannot remember the name of the program. The audience reminds him that it is medicare advantage. In district 9, there are 19,000 seniors that are on that plan, but he sees that as a target for “them” to get some savings. Isn’t he one of “them”? He also reports some taxes. One audience member boos loudly. The proposed taxes are for individuals making 350,000+ and couples making 500,000+. (Applause) He also reports fining companies who don’t insure their employees. The congressman also reports the hope that the costs of healthcare will be reduced and that will lead to reduced costs in the future. He then reports that our ten-year projected deficit as 9 trillion dollars—other than the years during WWII—that is the biggest debt because our debt has been 6% of our GDP. “Now, with all the spending that has gone on, we are now at 13.5% debt compared to our GDP.” He reports that many of the financial experts have defined this as “uncharted territory”. You can only tax the rich folks so much until they aren’t rich anymore. He doesn’t feel that there are enough rich people in this country to tax them alone. He gives us one guess that after they tax the rich people who “they” will come for next?

7:01 PM

A person is shouting incoherently

Sixth Question: Dedham, Wants to know where the outrage is over the insurance companies profits? Where is the outrage of those denied coverage? When is this attitude of ‘what’s in it for me’? Her payments were 1210.40 on Cobra? There really isn’t a difference between a public option and public school—people who can’t afford Milton Academy can go to a public school!

Reponse: “Let me try to find a question in that.” The CEO at AIG handed out billions in bonuses. With taxpayer money, 80% of the stock of that company was purchased. It was after the taxpayer rescued them that they handed out those bonuses. He gives Barney Frank credit (boos and applause) for trying to reduce the salaries of some of those executives.

Seventh Question: Somerville, Worried by the Congressman’s report that he is not sure how to vote. Now she is not worried because he has talked about the cuts to Medicare, the bureaucracy and the other things that he talked about here. “You might not know how you are going to vote, but I think I do.”

Response: My job is to make a vote based on what they put forward. “If you think that I’ve made up my mind on how to vote, I’m sorry to mislead you.” He likes the exchanges and other things that he feels are positive about all of this. Wednesday night brings a joint session of congress with the president and he hopes that this will bring a new solution. He also knows that there are a few Republicans that are trying to find common ground and when he tells us that he has not decided on how to vote, but because the bill isn’t finished, he will wait to see what he is voting on.

7:10 PM

Eighth Question: Medfield, The Congressman mentioned that if a person is a working for a big company, does that mean she is not entitled to coverage? Why aren’t there rights for the millions of uninsured?

Response: The congressman appreciates the person’s “comment”. He feels that out health care system needs to be reformed. As the President has said, we cannot stay on this road. The costs of healthcare are huge and those costs reduce the standard of living for all of us. We cannot abide 8-10% inflation for costs. The problem is what to do about it? And we don’t want to spend 1trillion dollars and end up there anyway.

Ninth Question: Needham, This person saw a forum on CSPAN that concerned him, this one alleviated those concerns. The problem is, that all involved will lobby for their biases. He feels that the government programs, soc.security and medicare, are ponzi schemes. He feels that medicare now needs reformed and gives some stats on where medicare is going. He doesn’t want the government running his healthcare (whistles and applause). My question to you is: I want to encourage you in being honest with your voters, but this is the wrong way, but I’d ask you if you’d be willing to take the leadership act and do something

Last Power Sorry Everyone!