McNerney tries to calm health care fears
Aug 13, 2009 | 830 views | 64 
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Many callers asked about the public option and what it meant to small business owners and people who enjoyed their private health care provider. McNerney explained repeatedly that the public option would not replace a person’s private health care provider.
“If you are satisfied with what you currently have, then you can and will be able to keep it,” he said. “What the legislation does is bring down cost and tackles the most challenging problems facing the American health care systems.”
McNerney, who said he read through the entire proposed bill of more than 1,000 pages, noted that this plan will compete with private health care providers, but is not meant to shut them down. It will be an affordable option available to those without health care or who are unhappy with their coverage, he said.
He also explained to a woman who was worried about trying to afford health care for her part-time employees that it will not force her to provide a plan for them, but might offer credit for her small business, depending on the employees’ average salary. McNerney said that small businesses that have fewer than 25 employees or bring in less than $500,000 in revenue will not be affected by the proposal.
“I know that small businesses are a critical part of our nation’s economy and I think that it’s important that we allow and can help the businesses that do want to provide health care to their employees,” McNerney said. “This plan is designed to do that.”
McNerney will sit down with three small business owners to talk about what the plan means to them in a roundtable discussion in Tracy this afternoon, as part of a “listening tour” where the congressman will visit a doctor’s office and Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, said his spokeswoman Sarah Hersh.
He also listened to callers who worried about the costs of the public option.
“I … pay my own health care, and it’s by far my single highest bill,” Lee from Stockton said. “I need an affordable option to the high out-of-pocket expenses that I have on the current system.”
McNerney explained that this plan will not put anyone in bankruptcy and there will be a limit on how much someone has to pay. He said that the plan is designed to break even financially after 10 years and taxes will not be raised for middle-class people.
“To see that people like you are struggling with health care is a horrible thing,” McNerney replied to Lee. “There’s an absolute limit on how much you will pay a year for health care. It’s a very critical part of our reform.”
The congressman talked about how this plan will not be offered to illegal immigrants and will not take money out of Medicare. Another caller told McNerney that socialized health care has failed in other countries, and he was worried that it might meet a similar fate in America. McNerney replied that the government isn’t trying to start a new plan from scratch, but that they are tweaking the current health care landscape.
Of those who called in, 12 people were able to ask questions within the hour time slot, including two women from Tracy. Those who didn’t have questions answered were given the contact information for McNerney’s local offices, so they could still voice their concerns.
“We will not tolerate the public option crowding out private plans; they’re just too popular and they do a lot of good for the country,” McNerney said in a reply to Jenny from Tracy. “We just need to make sure that they are regulated and they have public competition so they provide even better care.”
The hour-long town hall, which Hersh said attracted about 5,000 callers, was a way for District 11 residents to share their concerns about the plan.
Hersh said the congressman chose to have a telephone town hall instead of a live one to make it easier for the district’s residents to ask questions, instead of making them drive somewhere that could be far away. Calls came from Tracy, as well as Morgan Hill, Danville, San Ramon, Brentwood and Stockton.
Contact Tracy Press reporter Justin Lafferty at 830-4269 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.
The first truth is this is effort in the legislative branch of our government to fix Health Care. Not Obama Care!
The truth about the 5 bills in the Congress and Senate is:
1 Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
2 Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
3 Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
4 Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
5 Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
6 Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
7 Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
8 Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.
I’m sure that most of you will not believe any of this, you’re mad because your side lost the election. Your actions will only hurt your families and friends.
"Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions."
Ok, does that mean that Linda Douglas is letting people snitch and turn each other in to the whitehouse.gov?
Where on the Ezekial Emmanuel chart is the "public option"? Close to retirement, hopefully?
Good grief!
Please remove my info from all OFA, David Axelrod, and Whitehouse websites.
Since when did our Congress approve of using our tax dollars to turn the WhiteHouse.gov and the taxpayer's Whitehouse email servers (flag@whitehouse.gov) into propaganda tools?
Are you aware that this quote was taken from the whitehouse website?
"If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov"
And have you seen the email distribution list?
Please remove my name from your List!!!
More proof this Congress is the worst ever!!!
WASHINGTON - Bowing to Republican pressure, President Barack Obama's administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new U.S. health care system.
Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run plan. Such a concession would likely enrage his liberal supporters but could deliver Obama a much-needed win on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.
Officials from both political parties reached across the aisle in an effort to find compromises on proposals they left behind when they returned to their districts for an August recess. Obama had sought the government to run a health insurance organization to help cover the nation's almost 50 million uninsured, but he never made it a deal breaker in a broad set of ideas that has Republicans unified in opposition. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that government alternative to private health insurance is "not the essential element" of the administration's health care overhaul. The White House would be open to co-ops, she said, a ...
I don't have health care insurance and really don't want to pay for YOUR "plan". It seems like a way to squeeze some additional monies out of us. And I don't have a lot more to give. I wonder if you could tell us, why should I have to pay for someone else's healthcare? Yes, please stop for a minute to explain. And why are Democrats suddenly interested in listening to businesses? When did Democrats listen to businesses. Democrats always claimed they we were the party for the American People.
Things have changed with the Democrats. Recently the Democrats, along with yourself, appear to be sidelining the American people in favor listening to business and other special interest groups. It's very sad to see this happen to the American people.
Democrat appear all to eager to push Nancy's agendas through and seem to be making the mistake of taking on far too many issues at one time. The current "Career Congress" is costing us a staggering multiple trillions, of trillions, of trillions of dollars. If not multiple trillions more. Why don't we pause for a moment and see if that makes sense? Why is it Congress won't go to work on the economy first?
Let's humanize this. My neighbor can't go to work becuse of the economy and has been unemployed for over eight months. Why can't Congres understand people like my neighbor want a strong economy first? Let's get back to the idea of making America a place where we all have a job to do and clearly understand what that job is.
While we're at it. Let's not focus on too many issues at a single time. When you do that we lose focus. It doesn't seem clear that Democrats like yourself, are being inclusive of the public's input on some issues of importance to the American people.
Honestly, I feel democrats are making the same mistake the Clinton administration did by not including everyone in a healthcare debate. A good example is your "phoney town-hall meeting".
I also don't see businesses as being the right venue to USE to push health care reform on voters who are getting little or no say in the issue. Bring the issue to the people (not businesses and special interests) and let the people who have health insurance be the judge.
The people are the stakeholders that Congressmen and Congresswomen should be listening to. Democrats appear to be ONLY interested in listening to businesses and special interests. That seems to be a sad repeat of history. And that will ultimately turn the voters away from Democrats agenda. It's already happening.
Sorry, Jerry. It sure seems wrong to count people out in favor of business and special interests. Is that what you promsed the American voters, back in November? Let's get our priorities back in order. Why not tell Congress to give us jobs and slow down on the 23 trillion dollars before we have no money left. I really doubt the American voters wanted Democrats to put the cart before the horse. (or the special interest before the voters).
We'll have to look at the ballot boxes in November.
Just hope somebody's listening.
Boy! I give the government high marks for being so inadequate! I fear the turn around in economy is not going to happen any time soon as they kept claiming.
It will turn around WHEN THE JOBS AND FACTORIES ARE BACK IN USA.
JOBS???? Then the people would have the ease of getting the kind of health insurance they want if they wish to continue avoiding substandard cares..
Keep clinics open for those who have lost their jobs, government could subsidize those centers, and generic drugs could be used.
Heavier taxes on outsourced corporations to keep these centers open if they choose to remain where they were. Heavier taxes on Off Shore company ... after all they have to replace what they have taken from USA citizens... JOBS!
Heavier taxes on outsourced corporations to pay for border control?
To stop the flow of illegal immigrants and the drain of our resources!!
I am not elected official, yet, I think common people have more sense than any of these politicians... too many lawyers!
Watch Jo Bidon telling a man confined to his wheelchar to "stand up".
Just be careful what you ask for.
Many young people CHOOSE not to purchase health insurance but can afford it. Yet they will be FORCED with the bill. Not necessarily RAISED TAXe$, but you get the picture.
Currently, we have the best healthcare in the world. Why mess it up?
This "bill" will push the problem of taxes off to the states resulting in increased state taxes.
WHERE TO FIND A ORGAN TRANSPLANT?
AND:
WHAT ABOUT THE ILLEGALS?