Calling Out Tsongas & Kerry On The Public Option

Each response has the standard, we understand the scope of the problem (cite statistics) and this is what we have accomplished (cite legislation). What neither have is a bold statement that the PUBLIC OPTION is vital to reform.:v(

Kerry’s summation statement:

While I strongly believe there are many things that need to be changed within our current health care system, it is equally important to preserve the parts of our system that work.  As we move to make health insurance more affordable, those who are satisfied with their current insurance should be able to keep what they have.

As we continue to move forward with health reform I will keep your thoughts and concerns in mind.  Thank you again for writing me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about this issue or any other matter of importance to you.

Tsongas’ summation statement:

Thank you again for sharing your views with me on this important issue.  As this debate continues, I look forward to working with the new Administration to reform our system of health care at this unique moment in time and I will support the most immediate hope for providing health care to all Americans.

Of the two statements, Tsongas’ disappoints me the most: “I will support the most immediate hope for providing health care to all Americans.” Come again?

I am not asking, nor are most asking, for “immediate” or other synonyms for “politically expeditious.” We are asking you to get it as best as possible. Yes, there is urgency. There is a crisis with a pending catastrophe. Please act immediately, but do not compromise fundamental progressive values in the name of ease.

Here is the message I sent out over the intertubes via DKos, Blue Hampshire, Facebook and, now BMG, to POTUS.

As much as I hate to simplify and put all my eggs in one basket, I’m getting to a point. A point that reminds President Obama that he clearly stated that he would govern first and ensure re-election second.

“I’ve been in office for two months now. The last thing I’m thinking about is re-election,” Mr. Obama said. But, he added: “I’d rather be a good president taking on the tough issues for four years than a mediocre president for eight years.

Sir,

We need this done. Burn every bridge, twist every arm, pimp slap every punk ass inside the beltway. Worry about 2010 after we have real reform. You are damned, if you do and damned, if you don’t.

Sir, with all do respect, my family and those that sit at our table and break bread will be DAMNED IF YOU DON’T.

What I, and everyone I talk to about this wants, is to see the Congress sweat blood on this. No bullshit. Staffers should be quitting their jobs because of the workload. Politicians should be seriously considering their bid for re-election. The months leading up to the signing ceremony should leave you all battered, bruised and hating life.

We are not talking about another day in the office. This will be THE legislation of this decade, if not greater.

Robert Reich, in Salon:

All this will be decided within days or weeks. And once those who want to kill the public option without their fingerprints on the murder weapon begin to agree on a proposal — Snowe’s “trigger” or any other — the public option will be very hard to revive. The White House must now insist on a genuine public option. And you, dear reader, must insist as well.

This is it, folks. The concrete is being mixed and about to be poured. And after it’s poured and hardens, universal healthcare will be with us for years to come in whatever form it now takes. Let your representative and senators know you want a public option without conditions or triggers — one that gives the public insurer bargaining leverage over drug companies and that pushes insurers to do what they’ve promised to do. Don’t wait until the concrete hardens and we’ve lost this battle.

Let me be so bold, audacious, if I may, as to tell you how this goes Rep. Tsongas and Sen. Kerry. The President will not, at this point, draw a “line in the sand.”

BUT I WILL!

This is where we, the people of the Commonwealth, stand up and hold your feet to the fire. We will pressure you, badger you, and on occasion say please and thank you. Whichever means we choose, know this, you have one mission on health care reform. Use the office that we have bestowed upon you to give the President the political capital he will need to get us the best reform possible.

If we make, such a noise, then what else could happen?

NOW GO!

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From Kerry:

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opinions on the health care crisis in our country and on health care reform legislation.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

Reforming our country’s health care system and ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance is a top priority.  Today, the United States spends more on health care than other developed countries, yet we have a shorter life expectancy and higher infant mortality. Health care spending represents nearly 17 percent of our economy, totaling over $2 trillion a year.  Still, approximately 87 million people-one in three Americans-went without health insurance for some period during 2007 and 2008.  This is unacceptable.  As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am working to enact comprehensive health care reform that improves the access and delivery of health care for millions of Americans.

According to researchers, about $700 billion is spent each year on health care that fails to improve outcomes.  I believe we should eliminate this excess spending and transform how we pay for health services.  Payments should be based on the quality of care delivered instead the quantity of services performed.  We need to reward providers who coordinate care and improve health outcomes.  New investments must be made in our health care workforce to meet the needs of a fully insured population.  Through better access to providers as well as prevention and wellness programs, individuals will be able to lead healthier lifestyles, reduce the likelihood of chronic disease and reduce costs.  Health reform should also include better access to home and community-based services for those needing long-term care.  

The Massachusetts experience with health reform holds valuable lessons for federal reform.  Our state has the lowest number of uninsured in the nation due to reform efforts that included:  expanded public programs; the development of new insurance standards; subsidized insurance to those with low income, the creation of an insurance exchange for private plans; maintaining safety net hospitals and health centers; and a requirement that individuals and employers each have a responsibility to contribute to health care costs.

Too many individuals cannot afford insurance as health insurance premiums continue to rise faster than inflation and wages.  We must control skyrocketing health costs that push families into bankruptcy and place our businesses at a disadvantage in the global economy.  Every American has the right to high quality and affordable health care, regardless of age, income or health status.  That is why I recently introduced the Women’s Health Insurance Fairness Act to prevent insurers from charging women higher premiums than men for health insurance policies.

As a strong supporter of improving health insurance coverage to children, I introduced Kids First, a bill that would guarantee health coverage
to the currently nine million uninsured children in America. In these uncertain economic times, families should never be forced to forgo health insurance for their children.  I also supported improvements to the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which became law in February 2009.  This new public law will strengthen and expand health coverage to an additional four million children, nearly halving the number of uninsured children over the next five years.  This new law included legislation that I wrote, the Children’s Mental Health Parity Act, which will ensure that children served by this program will also have access to critical mental health services.

A modernized health system must take full advantage of electronic prescribing and health information technology.  Electronic prescribing not only saves money through improved efficiency, but more importantly, it reduces medical errors and saves lives.  According to the Institute of Medicine, one-third of written prescriptions require follow-up clarification, with medication mistakes causing 7,000 deaths and 1.5 million injuries per year.  The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act that was enacted into law in July 2008, included provisions from my electronic prescribing legislation.   This law creates incentives for physicians to implement electronic prescribing within their offices.  

While I strongly believe there are many things that need to be changed within our current health care system, it is equally important to preserve the parts of our system that work.  As we move to make health insurance more affordable, those who are satisfied with their current insurance should be able to keep what they have.

As we continue to move forward with health reform I will keep your thoughts and concerns in mind. Thank you again for writing me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about this issue or any other matter of importance to you.

From Tsongas:

Dear Mr. Mitchell:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding health care.  I appreciate your views and having the benefit of your opinion.  With 47 million uninsured Americans and another 50 million Americans underinsured, I agree that it is time to change the way we approach health care in this country.  

Within his first month in office, President Obama signed into law legislation to expand health care coverage for children.  This expansion is especially important to Massachusetts, where the program was first developed, because it is a critical component of the universal Massachusetts Health Care Plan and will give the state the funding it needs to continue the program without cuts.

This expansion and the continued coverage of children already enrolled in the children’s health insurance program could not come at more critical time. The economic downturn and the resulting lost jobs have only compounded the problem of millions of children forced to live without access to affordable health care, and this new law will help to alleviate some of this strain on families.

Having so quickly accomplished this first major health care expansion for our children, we must now turn our attention to overhauling our health care system nationwide.  Too many Americans do not have access to the health care they need.  I know first hand how this isn’t just a political issue, but a deeply personal one for every family and we all deserve better than the system we have today.

That is why it is reassuring to see President Obama already working closely with both Democrats, including our own Senator Kennedy who has been such an inspiring leader on this issue, as well as Republicans to discuss ideas on how to bring down health care costs and increase coverage.  On March 5, President Obama hosted a White House Forum on Health Reform with elected officials, insurance company representatives, employers, researchers, health care professionals, patient advocates, and stakeholders representing all sides of this debate to begin the long-overdue process of reform.

Furthermore, the recently passed Recovery package passed during the 111th Congress and signed by the President has taken steps towards improving our health care system.  Under the package, if you qualify for COBRA coverage and are involuntarily terminated between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009, the federal government could pay 65 percent of your COBRA premium for up to nine months. The stimulus also provides important funding to improve health information technology, allowing hospitals, physicians, Medicare, and Medicaid to share electronic medical records, reduce health care costs, and create improvements in quality of care.  And, the legislation provides funding to create a best practices institute that will support and accelerate efforts to adopt, implement, and effectively utilize health information technology.

Thank you again for sharing your views with me on this important issue.  As this debate continues, I look forward to working with the new Administration to reform our system of health care at this unique moment in time and I will support the most immediate hope for providing health care to all Americans.

Please do not hesitate to contact my office in the future with questions or concerns.  If you would like to see what I’ve been doing in Washington DC, or to get my views on a certain issue, please visit my website at http://tsongas.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Niki Tsongas

Member of Congress