Mitchell Votes for H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act

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"Doing Nothing is Not an Option"

7 November 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell today, in order to keep the healthcare reform process moving forward, voted for of H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act. The bill passed by a vote of 220 to 215.

"I believe that doing nothing is not an option," Mitchell said. "The bill before us is not perfect. No bill ever is. I believe further improvements need to be made and the House needs to work with the Senate to get it done. The political way out would be a vote to do nothing. But playing it safe, which I could do, is why big problems - like health care and immigration reform - have yet to be tackled. I agree with the recent remarks of Republican Senator Olympia Snowe when she said that when history calls, history healthstatment calls and that there should be no mistake about it: my vote today, is my vote today. And it in no way forecasts my vote for a final bill in the future. But we can only make improvements if we move the ball forward."

Mitchell also reiterated that this bill contains no death panels or government takeovers of health care and it will not dismantle the private insurance industry.

"If I believed it did, I wouldn't vote for it," Mitchell said. "I also look forward to having my concerns regarding the overall cost of the House legislation addressed as the House and Senate conferences to propose final legislation. While I am pleased that the bill is deficit neutral, I believe we can achieve much of what this bill seeks to accomplish in a more fiscally responsible way. In addition, as the bill progresses, I hope that members will focus reducing the overall growth of health care spending."

H.R. 3962 addresses many issues Mitchell had previously laid out such as stopping insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, strengthening Medicare and providing individuals more choice, not less. It will also reduce federal budget deficits by $109 billion from 2010 - 2019, with further reductions in federal budget deficits over the next decade. [Source: Congressional Budget Office, November 5, 2009]

H.R. 3962 also prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving any subsidies, and prohibits federal funding for abortions.

Additionally, it contains significant improvements from H.R. 3200, the bill that was circulated over the summer. Mitchell had opposed the version of the public option included in H.R. 3200 which was based on below market Medicare reimbursement rates and would undercut competition and negatively impact doctors and community hospitals. H.R. 3962's version of the public option will be based on negotiated rates, the same method private insurers use. While that is an improvement, Mitchell believes in continuing consideration of concepts such as allowing states to opt out, co-ops, or a trigger, which would go into effect if private insurance plans fail to expand affordable coverage sufficiently. This approach has worked successfully in the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit plan.

Among other local healthcare stakeholders, it has been endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), and the American Cancer Society.

To increase competition, the bill would establish an insurance exchange through which businesses and individuals could comparison shop for policies that best meet their needs. To participate in the exchange, insurers would have to meet certain minimum standards. Most notably, insurers would no longer be allowed to refuse to cover someone because of a pre-existing condition, or place a cap on annual or lifetime coverage. Members of Congress and federal employees purchase their health insurance through a similar exchange.

Health care reform would also enable the 469,000 residents of Arizona's Fifth District who currently receive health care coverage from an employer to keep it as well as prevent their insurers from dropping them if they get sick. It would also require insurers to allow young adults, up to 27 years of age, to remain on their parents' health care plans.

Reform would also strengthen Medicare and help seniors. The bill would fill the "donut-hole" in Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, helping the 10,100 seniors in Arizona's Fifth District who are forced to pay full drug costs because they fall into it. The bill would further improve Medicare by eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for preventative services in Medicare.

For the more than 17,800 small businesses in Arizona's Fifth District that have been among the hardest hit by the present health insurance system, the bill enables them to combine or "pool" their purchasing power, and then comparison-shop for competitive rates via an insurance exchange. Approximately 15,700 small businesses in Arizona's Fifth District would qualify for tax credits for up to 50 percent of the cost of insurance coverage. Making it easier for small businesses to buy insurance is critical, especially during poor economic times. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are essential in creating jobs.

Health insurance reform would also make it easier for those who lack insurance to purchase it. Over time, this would ease the burden on our local emergency rooms, which currently treat the uninsured, and then charge more to those of us with insurance to make up for it.

Source: Rep. Harry Mitchell