I just got off a conference call with the Virginia Organizing Project (VOP) and Health Care for America Now (HCAN), which today are releasing a new report entitled, "Will the U.S. Senate Make Health Care Affordable for Families in Virginia?" The report indicates that "Senator Kennedy’s HELP Bill is more affordable than the Senate Finance Committee Bill for Virginia’s families and businesses." According to the study, "the HELP bill will save $919 a year compared to the Finance bill for a Virginia family with $70,485 in annual income." In addition, "HELP sets Medicaid eligibility at or below 150 percent of federal poverty" compared to 133 percent for the Finance Committee bill. Also crucial: unlike the Senate Finance Committee bill, "HELP offers people in the health insurance exchange the choice of a public health insurance option which will lower premiums and force private insurance companies to compete." Finally, the "Finance [bill] raises revenue through a 40% tax on health plans, a tax that will get passed through from insurers to employers to employees and make health care less affordable for working families." Not good.On the call were Richard Kirsch (National Campaign Manager Health Care For America Now), Zina Carey (Virginia Organizing Project Health Care Reform Committee), and Matt Masterson (a Virginia Beach resident who cannot afford health insurance). According to Kirsch, there's an "enormous difference" between the two bills, with a family earning $55,000 a year saving $3,900 a year under the HELP bill vs. the Finance bill. Also, HELP extends Medicaid coverage to more low-income families and in general will be more affordable (e.g., lower out-of-pocket costs) than the Finance Committee bill. That's why the HELP bill is the one that Senators Warner and Webb should be supporting, according to Kirsch.
Zina Carey, who lives in Winchester, noted that this is not just a federal issue, that Virginia is the 9th wealthiest state but has 1 million residents who can't afford health care coverage. Also, in Virginia, a few companies have a near-monopoly on providing health insurance. Anthem alone has around 50% of the market, according to Carey. Last but not least, health care is the 2nd largest expenditure in the state budget, so obviously health care reform has huge implications for Virginia at the state level.
Finally, Matt Masterson told his heartbreaking story of his family's "health care nightmare." Masterson is a 40-year-old Virginia Beach resident, married with three children. He has rheumatoid arthritis, he has a son with Juvenile Diabetes, and his wife almost died from an enlarged gall bladder that was misdiagnosed as an ulcer (note: the emergency room doctor told them to go see their primary care physician, but since they didn't have health insurance coverage, they didn't have a primary care physician!).
Meanwhile, although Masterson had health care coverage through his employer, he still was facing out-of-pocket expenses for drug co-payments alone of $1,500 per month - over half his income! In the end, Masterson's family lost its cars, home, and even most of its belongings. They are now living with his mother. Masterson notes that he campaigned hard for Congressman Nye, President Obama, Senators Webb and Warner, and that universal health care with a strong public option (with caps on out-of-pocket expenses) was his #1 issue. Masterson says he's contacted Nye's, Warner's and Webb's offices repeatedly, but has not received a reply. In his view, if they won't support universal health care with a strong public option, "we need to vote them out just like we voted them in." In Masterson's view - and I couldn't agree more - quality, affordable health care is a fundamental human right. Now it's time for Congress and the President to do what we elected them to do.
UPDATE: You can read the entire report here.
