Congressman Matheson On Healthcare

Posted the Thomas E. Bingham, President, Utah Manufacturers Association

In an email message to UMA President Tom Bingham, Utah’s Second District Congressman Jim Matheson responded to UMA’s thanks for standing up against the current Healthcare Reform proposal in Congress. Here is what he said about the need for healthcare reform in the U.S.

I want health care reform that achieves these goals: lowers costs for Utah families and businesses, increases the quality of care provided and expands access for every American.

The President has said he will not sign a health care bill that 1) adds to the deficit and 2) fails to lower the excessive growth of long term health costs. I am on the same page. According to an independent analysis, the bill recently considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee fails on both counts.

Skyrocketing health care costs are straining family budgets, threatening the survival of small businesses and exploding our national deficit. Even Utahns with good coverage know they are paying more in premiums, deductibles and co-payments and they are getting less. Costs are staggering for Utah businesses who try to do the right thing and offer insurance benefits to employees. Utahns who lose a job, or change jobs, or want to start a business fear they'll have few health insurance options and they will be expensive.

Health care costs are the number one driver of our long-term deficits, which is why achieving health care reform is the single most important thing we can do for our nation's long-term fiscal health.

The status quo is unsustainable and unacceptable. Inaction is not an option.
In years of looking at health care and after meetings with many stakeholders, here's what I know:
• In order to get real cost savings, we must reform the incentives of a system that equates more expensive care with better care
• We need to align incentives for doctors and hospitals so that they're reimbursed based on the quality of care they provide, not on how many tests or procedures they prescribe
• A third of the $2 trillion spent on health care in this country goes towards administrative costs, not to patient care. We need a more efficient, less bureaucratic system.

Americans currently without insurance must have the opportunity to receive affordable coverage. Insurers should not be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. They should not be able to hike premiums when people become ill and they should invest in prevention and wellness programs.