Health Care

Across our country, 14,000 Americans are losing their health care coverage every day, joining the 46 million who aren’t covered by health insurance. The United States now spends twice as much per capita on health care than almost any other nation, and our outcomes are worse.  Spending on doctors, hospitals, drugs, and other health care costs now consumes more than one of every six dollars we earn- that’s approaching 20 percent of our country’s GDP.  The growing costs to employers, estimated at 5 percent in 2008, have forced many businesses to cut back on benefits.  It is even worse now during tough economic times.  Before the economic downturn, 62 percent of all personal bankruptcies in 2007 were the result of unaffordable medical bills.  What's astounding is that three-fourths of those debtors had health insurance. 

We need to make sure that people who are happy with the coverage they have can keep it.  We need to make sure that the American people will be able to keep their doctors, and have a say in their health care decisions.  But we must expand the options, so that Americans who don’t like their plan, or don’t have health care coverage, have a choice. 

We must ensure that every American has health care coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and that we have adequate protections in place for the doctor-patient relationship. And we must also make sure that people can keep their coverage if they change jobs, get divorced, or their employer changes their options.

By streamlining health care, reducing fraud and abuse, ending unnecessary testing, discouraging overutilization, investing in smart reforms, and emphasizing preventive health care, we can significantly bring down the cost of health care. We can also make significant cost savings by encouraging more collaboration and patient centered care by doctors.  Rather than paying doctors for the volume of procedures they perform, we should reward them for keeping patients healthy.  Reform won’t be easy, but it is urgent that we act now to make sure that all Americans can access quality, affordable health care. 

Medicare Reimbursement

Congressman Thompson has worked on legislation that moves toward correcting low Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians in Sonoma County. In August 2007, the House passed a bill to eliminate the scheduled cuts in Medicare’s physician reimbursement rates, and replaces them with a rate increase. This will impact doctors across the nation and preserve access to care in many communities, including those throughout California's 1st Congressional District.

Telemedicine

In previous Congresses, Congressman Thompson has secured funding to support the implementation of a comprehensive telemedicine initiative, the North Coast Telemedicine Network. Telemedicine enhances medical care services to rural regions of the District by enabling a consulting physician at one location to observe a patient or interpret data at another location via two-way audio or video telecommunications links.

Nursing

As the husband of a nurse, Congressman Thompson is well aware of the problems faced by the nursing community. Additionally, as a member of the Congressional Nursing Caucus and, as chair of the Blue Dog Coalition’s health care task force, Congressman Thompson works with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to address the issues of workforce shortage and workplace conditions.

Preventative Care

The efficacy of cancer prevention screening is clear. When caught in the first stages, the five year survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent and the five year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 90 percent. This is why Congressman Mike Thompson, along with Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN) introduced legislation to improve beneficiary access to Medicare’s cancer screening services. If we eliminate the co-pays, more seniors will get screened, saving lives and money.

In August 2007, this legislation was included in the Champ Act and passed by the House.

Doctors in the National Guard and Reserve

Additional legislation authored by Thompson was also included in the CHAMP Act. Specifically, the act permanently waives Medicare’s 60-day leave of absence limitation for National Guard and Reserve physicians called to active duty. This provision is based on Thompson’s legislation, HR 3007. Learn more.
--------------------------------------------------------

Press Releases

Frequently Asked Questions about Health Care (August 5, 2009)

Congressman Thompson: Health Care Can't Wait (June 16, 2009)

Thompson Introduces Children’s Health Bill (May 6, 2009)

Please click here for more Press Releases

News Articles

Article: “Thompson secures funding for St. Joseph” (July 27, 2009)

Op- Ed: Questions and answers about health care bill (July 24, 2009)

Article: “Stimulus funding coming for health clinics” (July 20, 2009)

Multimedia

Thompson Responds to President’s Veto of Critical Emergency Spending Bill (May 1, 2007)

President’s Budget Harms Middle-Class, Neglects Seniors & Kids (February 6, 2007)