Honorable Charles Gonzalez 20th District Replies, More Spin

They honorable Charles Gonzalez once again responds with spin and a sales pitch. Once again he does not address the issue I posed to him about removing the exemptions the insurance companies enjoy regarding the anti-trust laws nor answer the question, “will he fight to get this law repealed?” I am so tired of being treated like a blind following sheep that will believe whatever a politician has to say. Come on San Antonio 20th district voters lets end his time in office and vote someone in who has respect for our concerns and not just the party line.
I am posting his response to me so you can see the sales job of how wonderful a job he is doing for us.
Glad to Hear From You
Wed, January 6, 2010 10:58:42 AM
From:
Congressman Charles A. Gonzalez

Dear Mr. Zagala:

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me about efforts to reform our healthcare system. As you may be aware, on October 29, 2009, the Congressional leadership unveiled the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962.
Our healthcare system is failing too many Americans. In the 20th Congressional District, one in four people I represent do not have health insurance coverage. These folks can not access appropriate healthcare, so they end up putting off proper care until small problems become too big to ignore. Not only does this put lives at risk, but it is a great contributor to the high cost of healthcare that impacts the insured and the uninsured alike. Healthcare costs are too high and will only continue to skyrocket if we don’t do something now. Currently, they consume 18% of our gross domestic product, but if we don’t make substantial changes to the healthcare system, health care costs will consume 34% of our GDP by 2040.
Since costs are so high, even those with insurance are often underinsured. So, when life happens and medical care is needed, it is difficult for families to pay. In fact, 62% of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills. It is upsetting to know that 78% of the people with a medically-related bankruptcy had health insurance, but there were gaps in their coverage due to co-payments, deductibles, and uncovered services. The epidemic levels of uninsurance, the ever-increasing cost of care, and the inadequate coverage even for those with insurance is a formula for the economic ruin for our country and must be fixed now.
The Obama Administration and Congressional leadership have answered the call for reform and have rightly made healthcare reform a top priority. Since February, leaders in the House and the Senate have been working to develop healthcare reform proposals. Throughout this process, policymakers have taken input from constituents and other stakeholders to aid in the development of healthcare reform legislation. Thousands of townhalls have been held, over 100 witnesses have testified at multiple congressional hearings and H.R. 3200, the underlying bill, was debated in 3 committees. The House of Representatives has developed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which combines the efforts of the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, as well as legislation considered in the Senate and other House Committees.
H.R. 3962 is a work in progress and is no small undertaking. However, it includes some very substantial reform efforts that are expected to provide affordable access to quality care for all Americans. It creates a Health Insurance Exchange that will give individuals and small businesses the opportunity to comparison shop for the insurance plan that works best for them. With the Exchange’s transparency requirements, one will be able to compare various plans’ costs, deductibles, co-pays, and covered services easily. Sliding scale affordability credits will be provided to low income individuals and families to help with the purchase of health insurance. H.R. 3962 also creates a public health insurance option that will be sold through the Exchange alongside privately-offered plans. There are many misconceptions about this proposal which I would like to clear up. No one will be forced into this plan. It is simply another insurance plan from which consumers can choose. Also, this plan is not funded by the government. It will be financed only through premiums, just like traditional private insurance plans.
H.R. 3962 will create a number of necessary consumer protections. For example, insurance companies will no longer be able deny coverage for treatments of a pre-existing condition or charge higher rates due to health status, gender, or other factors. It requires that minimum standards be set for all insurance plans which will include preventive and mental health services, oral health and vision services for children, and will cap the amount of money a person or family spends on covered services in a year (which will help prevent bankruptcies).
It also improves Medicare by helping to fill the “donut hole” over time in the Part D drug program. This problem has been of great detriment to many seniors and disabled folks in our community. The bill also extends the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by improving payment accuracy and encouraging delivery system reforms. H.R. 3962 also makes significant investments in the healthcare workforce. In particular, the bill aims to increase the number of folks who choose to be primary care physicians or nurses. There is significant investment in the recruitment, training, and retention of these valuable healthcare workers in medically underserved communities.
One issue of great concern to many folks I have spoken to is the cost of this proposal. This is a costly proposition but as someone recently observed: “The cost of failure far exceeds the cost of progress.” Our economy can not sustain the consequences of escalating healthcare costs and unavailable or inadequate health insurance coverage. While the upfront costs are daunting, policymakers are determined to develop a bill that will create overall savings for families and businesses. In fact, the House of Representatives is not even allowed to pass a bill unless it meets pay-go rules, which require bills to be paid for. H.R. 3962 will be paid for through a surcharge on the top 0.3% of wage earners, a surcharge on businesses that choose to not provide coverage for their employees (with an exemption that will apply to 98.8% of small businesses), improving payment accuracy in Medicare, and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the healthcare system. It will also reduce the growth in health care spending through stronger prevention and wellness measures and increasing access to primary care.
As you may be aware, on November 7th, 2009, I along with 219 members of the House of Representatives voiced our support by approving H.R. 3962. While the House has approved this landmark piece of legislation, H.R. 3962 will continue through the legislative process as it is considered in the Senate.
The healthcare debate has created very strong feelings from Americans of every persuasion. This is because every single one of us has a very real, very direct stake in this debate. People’s beliefs on this matter are also incredibly divergent. My offices in San Antonio and Washington, DC have received thousands of calls, letters, emails, and faxes. While balancing these very divergent opinions is an enormous challenge, I am very heartened that the people I represent in Congress are so engaged. I hope that you will continue to involve yourself in the debate as the legislative process continues on this historic effort.

Sincerely,

Charles A. Gonzalez
Member of Congress

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