Rep. Perriello on New Health Care Bill: "Changes Move Us in the Right Direction"

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10/30/09 -- Washington, DC – Yesterday, the U.S. House unveiled the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the new version of health care reform legislation. Congressman Tom Perriello released the following statement:

“I am pleased to see major changes in the bill that move us in the right direction. Though I was unsatisfied with the original bill, I’ve been working hard to get to ‘yes’ because the status quo is simply unsustainable and unacceptable, and we must do more to bring down costs for middle-class families and businesses without increasing the federal deficit.

I argued for the vote on this legislation to be delayed until after the August recess so we could spend that month in dialogue with the American people. Those delays have paid off in the form of a stronger set of reforms. I held over 100 hours of town hall meetings in the 5th District to get my constituents’ feedback, and I took those ideas directly to congressional leaders in a letter on September 25 joined by other freshman colleagues.

I’m pleased to see that the new version of the bill addresses many of our requests, such as extending the life of Medicare, addressing tort reform, and ensuring deficit neutrality. I am still looking to see more on interstate competition and will take the weekend to read the whole bill before I make a decision. I have fought tirelessly for these changes that my constituents wanted to see in the bill, and I will continue to push for meaningful reform.”

Of the requests Rep. Perriello made in his September 25 letter to congressional leaders, many are addressed in the new health care legislation.

Additionally, the new legislation contains a number of provisions that are important to rural hospitals, including:

* The public option proposal is based on negotiated rates, not rates tied to Medicare levels.
* The bill directs the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study geographic inequities in Medicare reimbursement rates and directs the Secretary to revise payment rates based on the IOM’s findings.
* The bill provides a 10 percent incentive payment for primary care doctors practicing in underserved areas, such as rural areas.

The full text of the health care legislation, along with the analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and other helpful fact sheets can be found on the Congressman’s website: www.perriello.house.gov/healthcareforum.

Source: Congressman Tom Perriello