Health Care Reform
As the representative for the 18th Congressional District, my office routinely receives calls from people needing my assistance on a host of matters. Among the most difficult calls are those from constituents who have had a medical need that has gone untreated.
 Like many of you, I absolutely and whole-heartedly believe we need to reform health care in the United States. The simple fact is that health care costs are spiraling out of control in our country. Too many people are sacrificing other basic needs in order to cover the cost of their medical bills. Even worse, as you know, many people simply are not able to get needed medical treatment because an insurance company considers it to be a “pre-existing condition.” The bottom line is we currently pay much more for our healthcare than any other country. Yet the satisfaction rate among patients who deal with complicated insurance regulations is among the lowest in the industrialized world.
In the 18th Congressional District we have significant health care challenges. More than a quarter of my constituents simply have no health insurance at all. Each year, 6,500 seniors in the district hit the so called “donut hole” in Medicare Part D and are forced to pay their full drug costs. In 2008, an estimated 1,730 health care-related bankruptcies in the district were caused primarily by health care costs not being covered by insurance. Also in 2008, health care providers in the district provided $167 million worth of uncompensated care to patients who lacked insurance coverage and were unable to pay their bills. The cost of health care for those uninsured is often picked up at the county’s expense. It often results in medical providers shifting the burden to those who can pay for treatment. Our problems are further compounded by a lack of physicians in the Valley due to the reimbursement rates that our doctors receive under current federal policies.
What we need is health care reform that actually works, that actually reduces costs and improves the quality of care we receive.
In July, a health care reform bill was introduced in the House of Representatives. It is now making its way through various committees and going through the markup process. There is a long way to go before this bill becomes law.
The guiding principles for any measure that receives my vote include: a mechanism to improve access to care and increase the number of physicians in the Valley; the patient’s right to choose their physicians; health care decisions determined by medical professionals and the patient; and comprehensive coverage. Additionally, I believe that significant cost savings can be identified within our current system. Until those savings are found – and waste, fraud and abuse are eliminated – I cannot support a financing mechanism that places the cost burden solely on private employers or taxpayers.
Please be assured that as this process continues I will work to bring about the best possible outcome for those I represent and am happy to hear your views on this issue. You may e-mail me through my website or contact any of my offices at any time.
Improving Access to Health Care
Health care issues are a priority for me precisely because they affect everyone. I believe access to health providers is a right, and I will support all initiatives that enable my constituents to receive affordable, high quality medical. More importantly, as Congress begins to consider comprehensive health care reform, I will work to make sure that any new proposal is fiscally sustainable and will help address the health provider shortage in the Central Valley.
My wife is a family doctor, and I know it is imperative that children receive proper health care when they are young. In addition, investing in our children's healthy futures makes the most economic sense for Americans. We cannot afford to deny health care to our youth since that will only increase our health care costs in the long run. This is why I strongly supported expanding and increasing funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program so that all eligible children can enroll in this highly successful, cost-effective initiative.
In the Valley, our region has special challenges because of our rural nature. Therefore, I strongly believe we must support health care providers to ensure individuals in medically underserved communities have equal access to health care. We need to draw qualified individuals to smaller communities to prevent health provider shortages. We also need to make certain our community health centers have all the resources they need to provide for those who depend on them. I am pleased that the community health centers in the Central Valley, including the Golden Valley Health Center in Merced, received $1,186,670 in funding from the stimulus, which they will use to hire 42 new employees. This will allow the center to increase the number of visits accommodated by the center by 43,000 and serve 5,000 new patients.
 I will continue to support loan reimbursement for rural health care providers and continued funding for community health centers. In addition, I will continue to push for higher physician reimbursement rates to help attract and support rural community health providers. In previous sessions I have voted for these initiatives and will continue to do so throughout my tenure in Congress.
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