Crapo responds to call for single payer

(Canyon County Democrats)

Dear Judy:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for health care reform, specifically, a single-payer, government-run system. I appreciate your opinion and would like to share with you my concerns for such a system as well as my suggestions for improving health care.

In my weekly travels through Idaho, I have had the opportunity to listen to my fellow Idahoans' ideas and concerns regarding our nation's health care system. In doing so, I have heard overwhelming opposition from Idahoans regarding the prospect of the federal government further encroaching upon their lives. They continually express their distrust of a government plan, losing their existing coverage, and paying more money for an inadequate health plan. Instead of giving the government more power over health care, individual patients must have more control, choice, and information to make their health care decisions. When individual patients have these choices, they will reward innovative insurers and providers who reduce costs and improve quality.

While health care reform is essential, the President Barack Obama and many Congressional Democrats' proposals for overhauling the system are problematic. Quality and affordable health care is understandably one of the highest priorities among Americans. A successful health care plan would allow Americans the ability to choose plans that fit their specific needs and those of their families. Thus, any successful reform package must properly address all logistical and personal components of our nation's health care system.

Many health care proposals disregard this fact by continuing to support a costly and prohibitive government-option health care plan. I am opposed to such a system as it would certainly lower the quality of care that Americans enjoy and result in delayed or rationed health care. In addition, such a system would be extremely costly, burdening American taxpayers and the economy with large costs and inevitable, significant tax increases. Without the beneficial effects of competition, or cost-cutting measures, a government health care monopoly would likely lead to higher prices, which the American taxpayer would incur. The archaic, confusing, and inaccurate formulas and policies that Medicare uses to determine physician and hospital reimbursement levels serve as an example of the ramifications of adopting a government-run system.

Health care spending currently exceeds 16 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and continues to increase at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, the President's plan does not address this problem and instead includes a $900 billion price tag. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that some of Congressional proposals will add billions of dollars to the national deficit over the next ten years. The CBO also estimates that the these proposals will cause millions of people to lose their current coverage, which contradicts the President's repeated promise that those who are content with their current health care coverage will keep it. The President also targets popular programs such as Medicare Advantage, thereby resulting in even more Americans losing coverage. This is unacceptable.

Preserving access to high-quality private health coverage, focusing on prevention and wellness initiatives, improving the delivery system mechanism, and bending downward the growth curve of spending should be priorities in any comprehensive health care reform legislation.  Fair insurance-market reforms that provide all Americans access to health care are essential to any successful health care system.

While we may disagree on the best model to use to reform health care, we agree that providing quality health care for all citizens is imperative. This is my priority and must remain a priority for this Congress. Please know that I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to establish a plan that works and truly represents the will of the American people.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, http://crapo.senate.gov.

Sincerely,  

Mike Crapo

United States Senator