Let’s Start With Some Commonsense Health Care Reforms 

By Congressman Mike Simpson

Washington, D.C – “With President Obama calling for a bipartisan summit on healthcare reform, I am anxious for Republicans to share some of the ideas we have to improve healthcare delivery in our nation. Now more than ever, Republicans and Democrats must work together to address the very real problems that this country faces, including in the health arena.

“I strongly believe that there are a number of measures that all of us, regardless of party affiliation, support that will bring down costs and improve access to care for all Americans. These are not new ideas—they are, however, ideas that are critical to implementing real, affordable and effective health reform.

“First, we must pass effective medical malpractice reform. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), failure to implement meaningful liability reform increases health costs by between $84 and $151 BILLION each year. While the overwhelming majority of liability claims against doctors are eventually dropped or found meritless, the cost of the litigation and resulting defensive medicine is still absorbed by you, the consumer/taxpayer.

“By passing meaningful liability reform, the legal system will continue to protect patients against medical negligence, but it would limit junk lawsuits by placing caps on noneconomic damages and limiting attorney fees and save billions of dollars in wasteful spending by stemming the practice of defensive medicine. I have repeatedly supported these reforms, which are a critical piece of any effective bipartisan health bill.

“Beyond liability reform, we should immediately end the current practice of banning the purchase of insurance across state lines.  Under the current system, the insurance market operates like 50 individual fiefdoms with each state in charge of insurance regulation and individuals limited to buying health insurance from local insurance providers. 

“In today’s modern world, people can buy all kinds of products from businesses based in other states--they should be permitted to purchase insurance that best fits their needs, too, instead of being limited only to those companies based in just one state.  Allowing purchasing of insurance across state lines would increase competition in the insurance market as individuals would have more affordable health insurance options and end the monopolies that exist in many states. 

“Bipartisan health reform should also include provisions to allow small businesses to band together through associations to buy health care coverage, giving them the same leverage and buying power that large corporations and even labor unions already enjoy.  I have repeatedly supported legislation to do this, which would give America’s small businesses the same advantages and make health care coverage for their employees more affordable. 

“Further, everyone recognizes that we need to do more as a country to focus on prevention and early intervention. And for those people with pre-existing conditions, we should pass a measure to prohibit insurers from denying coverage. 

“These are just a few examples of reforms that all Americans, Democrat, Republican and Independent, could support that would bring down healthcare costs for taxpayers and consumers and improve access to care.  These are not new ideas—many of them already have support on both sides of the aisle. 

“I am hopeful that President Obama will review these and other reform proposals based on their merits instead of their party label or the party affiliation of those that support or oppose them. I urge him to consider these commonsense reforms and I am hopeful agreement can be reached on a series of health reform proposals that the American people need, deserve and can afford.”

Recently in Washington 

DELEGATION FIGHTS FOREST FEE INCREASE FOR SENIORS

Retirees, disabled could lose discounts 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho's Congressional Delegation is asking the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service not to cut discounts for senior citizens and disabled Americans under the Interagency Pass Program. The program provides discounted use rates for activities on Forest Service lands, but a plan is under discussion to reduce the discounts from 50% down to about 10% for programs and services operated by Forest Service concessionaires. 

Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, and Congressmen Mike Simpson and Walt Minnick sent the following letter today to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell:
 

The Honorable Tom Tidwell
Chief
U.S. Forest Service
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC  20250

Dear Chief Tidwell:

We are writing to express concern with a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) proposal to allow a decrease in discounts for senior citizens and the physically disabled on USFS lands, as proposed in the Federal Register on December 1, 2009.

As you know, the USFS is a participant in the Interagency Pass Program, authorized by Congress in December 2004.  Congressional intent in establishing this pass program was to continue the multiple benefits of an earlier fee program (Fee Demo Program) by simplifying and standardizing the fee types and providing for public input in establishing fee locations and amounts, among other things.  However, that authorization also provided the Forest Service with authorities – unused up to this point – to reduce discounts for senior citizens and the disabled in some circumstances. 

Under the aforementioned proposed regulations, the costs for services provided to the pass holder will become, in some cases, prohibitive.  Of equal concern to the actual economic impact is the demographic groups that it will effect; the recession has been especially hard on senior citizens and the disabled, who already must shoulder the burden of high healthcare costs and depleted retirement savings. 

As the recession has gone on, more American families have turned to our public lands for vacationing and recreation purposes than they had in the past.  In part to address this rising demand, Congress has provided funding increases for the National Forest System activity in recent appropriations bills.  Furthermore, the Forest Service received $650 million for capital improvement and maintenance in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  As such, we are confused as to why the Forest Service would find it necessary or appropriate to levy increased fees on seniors and the disabled.

We urge you to maintain these discounts at their current levels.  In this economic climate, we cannot eliminate the opportunity for our senior and permanently disabled citizens to enjoy our public lands.