Quad Cities Watchdog Sniffing out government's lack of common sense

Senator Grassley – Says No To Canadian-Style Healthcare

A couple of weeks ago I sent a letter to Senator Grassley requesting that he not support any health care changes.  Here is the response I received:

Thank you for taking the time to email me. As your Senator, it is important for me to hear from you. Please accept my apology for the delay in my response.

I appreciate hearing your concerns about the current health reform debate. While I think we can all agree there are certain aspects of the U.S. health care system that need to be improved, I also understand why people are so worried about some of the proposals that are being discussed.

As I've travelled around Iowa, I hear a lot of concern about out-of-control government spending and a massive government takeover of our health care system. People are worried that health reform will result in lower quality, decreased access and government bureaucrats standing between patients and their doctors. Please rest assured that I recognize these concerns and will not support any legislation that leads to a government take-over of the American health care system. In fact, I have been one of the most vocal opponents of the so-called "public option", which many view as the first step towards single-payer -- Canadian-style -- health care.

The U.S. health care system is a private sector -- rather than a government-run -- system, which allows each citizen to make his or her own decisions about health care. I have found that most people would rather have control over their own health care rather than have the government make the decisions for them.

Despite the advantages of our current system, however, there are also many problems. We have too many people who can't find affordable insurance because costs are growing too quickly and insurers deny coverage because of pre-existing illnesses. The quality of medical care provided varies from world-class to inefficient and wasteful because the system pays based on the quantity of care provided instead of rewarding quality. I hope we can all agree that any meaningful health reform bill must get costs under control, make coverage more affordable and accessible, and not add to the deficit.

Health reform must also address the challenges facing small businesses. Often small businesses face such high prices that they are unable to provide coverage for their employees. Fixing this has to be a top priority. Congress should build upon the broad agreement for prohibiting insurers from denying coverage and pricing employers and individuals out of the system. Health insurance exchanges - or a virtual shopping mall of health plan choices - also has strong bipartisan support and would provide assistance to people trying to find the most affordable health plan that meets their medical needs.

Finally, real health reform should also address the inefficiency in our current Medicare payment systems. Under current law, Medicare providers are rewarded for providing high-cost, low-quality care. We need to reconfigure how we pay for health care so that the best providers are rewarded for innovation and the best outcomes. As these changes in how Medicare pays for health care are voluntarily adopted by private health plans, it will help make sure we are getting the most bang for our health care buck. And to end the high-cost of defensive medicine, health reform should include effective medical malpractice reform.

I certainly recognize your concerns about the current health reform debate, and I will keep your views in mind as Congress continues to debate health care issues. In the meantime, please know that I will not support any legislation that I feel hands our private system of medicine over to a bunch of Washington bureaucrats. My goal is to find fiscally responsible policies that address the problems I have mentioned above, but also maintain all the things that are working well in the American health care system.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of assistance with any federal matter. My offices in Iowa, as well as in Washington, D.C., are here to serve you. Keep in touch!

Sincerely,

Chuck

I'm pleased to say that he seems to be on our side and I expect him to stay that way.  I agree some things can be done differently and I, of course, have my own ideas on how to solve the situation.  But, we'll save that for another post on another day.  What do you think about the Senator's letter and/or the healthcare "reform" plans coming to vote tomorrow?