| The first caller asked how we were going to reduce the deficit by cutting costs rather than by raising taxes, saying his taxes are already too high. Melissa talked about her efforts to reduce costs and impose fiscal responsibility (such as restoring "pay-go" budget rules, which she pointed out had been in effect during the Clinton Administration but not during the Bush Administration). Then, she volunteered that if we don't get health care costs under control, they will take an unconscionable share of our GDP and destroy any chance of balancing the budget. She said we shouldn't be so concerned about "transition costs" that we lose sight of the big picture.
Another caller asked whether the public option would destroy insurance companies because it would have the unfair advantage of the power of the Federal government. Melissa welcomed the question and said that the bills that are now pending would create a "level playing field." She also cited the CBO study predicting that most people would still opt for private insurance coverage. She emphasized that people should have a choice of which entity they trust to provide their health insurance.
Someone asked whether individuals really would still be able to keep their current plan if they like it, asking whether employers wouldn't still have control. Melissa explained how the health insurance exchange would work and that individuals could get the benefit of large group rates, so they could choose to keep their current coverage even if their employer chose the public option. She also said that employers would pay a penalty if they dropped coverage, mentioning that the threshold for small businesses to be penalized had been increased (at least in the House Energy and Commerce Committee bill) had been increased from $100,000 annual
payroll to $500,000.
A caller asked about the viability of coops as an alternative to the public option. Melissa said that "some people" in recent days have been talking as if coops would eliminate the need for a public option, but that this was based on a misunderstanding. She said that states could opt to create coops, but that individuals or businesses could still choose the national public option. She emphasized the importance of giving people choices.
Melissa stressed the need for portability. She mentioned the elimination of pre-existing conditions and said that people should not be forced to stay in a job because someone in their family has a pre-existing condition and can't get insurance if they leave the group.
She said that everyone should have to pay something so that they would have a stake in keeping costs down. She gave an example that even a poor person who is subsidized might pay "$3 or $5, if that's all they can afford to pay." [I was particularly pleased by this statement, since it's realistic about what people really can pay.] She said that, if people choose a name brand drug over a generic, they should pay a little more.
At two junctures, she asked people to vote by pushing buttons. Questions included whether people had insurance; whether they were insured through their employer, individually, or by the government (Medicare, Medicaid, and VA); and whether people were "moderately concerned" or "very concerned" about the increase in premiums. She also asked whether people preferred to have their health insurance provided by a for-profit company, a not-for-profit, or by a public option.
The entire experience was very encouraging. Melissa spoke very well about the need for reform and explained how Democrats in Congress are going about it, in a very supportive way. (Republicans weren't mentioned.) There was nothing in the call that was negative or disturbing. There was no bashing of the pending bills; to the contrary, Melissa defended and spoke positively about the bills that are now in the House. Her discussion of the public option was the most positive I've ever heard from her.
We should be very encouraged. Let's treat Melissa Bean as a supporter of health care reform, and watch to see if she continues to move in the right direction.
P.S. Anyone who thinks Members of Congress should face constituents in live town halls should reconsider. This was a much more substantive, calm, and informative forum than the freak shows we've been seeing on TV. The callers spanned a wide range of viewpoints, but all were civil and Melissa was able to make her points without being shouted down. At least for now, this is a better forum for real communication.
--- Your friends at the Eighth District Democrats & Independents |
