Health Care Reform: It's Time

By Congressman George Miller and California State Senator Mark DeSaulnier

We stand on the cusp of a transformative moment in our country’s history: making quality, affordable health care a right for all Americans.

Make no mistake. Real health care reform is central not only to our personal health, but to the health of our economy and our recovery from the most desperate financial crisis since the Great Depression. Real health care reform will free small businesses and families from a burden that has crushed the spirit of innovation driving America’s strength and prosperity.

President Obama is correct; health care reform is not just about the 47 million Americans without insurance. Health care reform is about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back coverage because it became too expensive. Health care reform is about ensuring that, for the good of our dynamic economy that demands the world’s most flexible and highly trained workforce, those who return to school, who become too sick, who change jobs, or who are laid off do not risk losing insurance. Health care reform is about putting an end to the personal bankruptcies attributable to medical problems.

We simply cannot let this historic opportunity pass. As the President reminded us this week, 14,000 Americans continue to lose health insurance coverage every day.

Most importantly, we must be clear that real health care reform includes a strong public insurance option. Seventy-six percent of Americans support a public option because they understand that it will increase choice, lower costs, and expand access to care. A public option is the only way to introduce free market principles to an industry dominated by a few giant providers.

Of the companies that provide health care to employees, 85 percent do not offer a choice of insurance plan. In 16 states, one health insurance provider controls over half the market.

This leads to high prices and a lack of efficiency. According to the Kaiser family foundation, health insurance premiums have risen 113% in the last 10 years—four times faster than the growth of wages.

The health care plan now under consideration in Congress will greatly help our East Bay communities. More than 25,000 local small businesses would receive a tax credit to help pay the cost of providing insurance, more than 62,000 uninsured people would receive access to quality, affordable care; more than 20,000 seniors would avoid paying the ‘donut hole’ for prescription drug costs; and local health care providers would receive over $189 million annually for uncompensated care. Those who have insurance will be free to continue receiving their current benefits.

 We know that the insurance industry is spending more than $1 million dollars per day to prevent health care reform and keep the status quo of rising costs and limited access. The insurance industry rightly fears that an affordable public option will force private sector providers to cut costs and improve service delivery.

The special interest health care lobbyists are on the wrong side of history. In this transformative time for our nation, we must rally around President Obama to support comprehensive reform with a robust public option that will provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans.