William Burrus  APWU President

Ask the President

Question:

Regarding healthcare reform, I am disturbed that you would so blindly side with the president and Congress on a bill that is so wrong for the country. Why would I want to sign on to a program or force other Americans onto a program that gives the government control of my healthcare? Why would I want to sign onto a program that is going to cost trillions of dollars, which is definitely going to raise taxes and provide worse care than exists presently?

Look no further than to where it has been tried: England, Canada and Russia, are all dismal failures. The president, in his primetime news conference, even alluded to the fact that he would not use this plan. If the plan is so good for the American people, why is it that the people who are writing the bill are not willing to sign on for coverage? California has tried to give medical treatment to its entire population; it is over $15 billion in debt, and the state was handing out IOUs to its workers.

The president says that if you have health insurance presently and you like it, you will be able to keep it; this however is only a half-truth. In the current provision as written, if you have health insurance and you change jobs, get laid off, retire, or if the business you work for changes to the government plan, you will not be able to get your own insurance; you will be moved to the government plan. Truth be told, everyone will eventually be on the government plan by no choice of their own.

The president has also indicated that this plan will ration health care, “Let them take a pill and be comfortable.” Now I don’t know about you, but those who are not connected, will be the ones taking pills to live out their lives comfortably. Who is to decide who gets the transplant, the hip or knee replacement, you and your doctor? NO. The answer is the Secretary; just look up in the health care bill how many times it mentions “The Secretary shall….”

You say that “Corporate lobbyists and the Republicans are standing between you and your doctor. Don’t let them block reform! It’s time. Call your representative.” The truth really be told, there are many Democrats who are opposed to this plan because of the cost to implement and run the program.

The CBO [Congressional Budget Office] told Congress that this program will not save money; in fact, how much it will really cost is grossly underestimated.

Finally, if this program is so good, why does it have to be passed before recess, it need to be passed before then because they don’t want the representatives to go back home to their districts and hear that the constituents DO NOT WANT IT. This is evidenced by the poll numbers coming out, 59 percent DO NOT WANT this program.

William, NW Illinois Area Local

President Burrus:

I have received your July 28 e-mail raising several questions about the health insurance legislation presently being considered in Congress. Many of your assertions reflect the “talking points” of the opponents of reform and are simply untrue.

Following is my response to each point that you make on the pending legislation:

• Why would you want to sign on to a program or force other Americans onto a program that gives the government control of your health care?

This is the number one falsehood of the Republican Party and their benefactors, the insurance companies, in their effort to derail universal health insurance reform.

There are absolutely no provisions in the proposed legislation that would require Americans to change the healthcare providers they presently have or that they may desire in the future.

The public option that is being discussed would allow citizens a choice they do not presently have, and would foster competition with private insurers who dominate and control our nation’s health insurance system. Their complete control of health insurance permits them to set rules, preconditions and rates.

No citizen would be forced to enroll in the public option. In circumstances where an employer elected to enroll his or her employees in the public option, that would not differ from right employers currently enjoy: to select the insurance company of their employees. Logic dictates that the only reason an employer would make such a decision would be if the public option was more competitive in service and cost than other plans.

• Why would you want to sign onto a program that is going to cost Americans trillions of dollars?

The whole point of health insurance reform is to reduce costs and improve care. It is intended to reduce the stranglehold the private insurers have, which allows them to set premiums and levels of service without competition from a public option. Healthcare costs have already increased by “trillions of dollars,” and if reform is not achieved, your costs will continue to increase at a rate greater than inflation.

You presently pay, through your premiums, the cost of medical care for the uninsured, who are guaranteed emergency services. These emergency services are extremely expensive, and often could be avoided if the patients had health insurance.

If you are going to pay for the uninsured, why should you pay at a rate that is 5 times the costs of regular medical care, while they pay nothing? Presently, you pay the full emergency medical costs for the uninsured in your premium.

• Health reform is definitely going to raise taxes.

This is the crown jewel of the Republican distortions. It does not have to be true, but if it is repeated often enough, perhaps it will be believed.

Saying it does not make it so. The same lie was repeated during the presidential campaign, but taxes for those earning less than $250,000 per year have been reduced. They were wrong during the campaign, and they are wrong now. The only tax increase in the legislation is for those earning $1 million or more; trust me, they don’t need you to act as their spokesperson.

• The healthcare systems of England, Canada, and Russia all are dismal failures.

Another Republican talking point that is dutifully repeated is the claim that waiting time for complicated procedures under their systems is too long. But if you intend to contrast the systems, it is important to note the differences between their systems and the proposals for reform in this country.

England, Canada and Russia have single-payer healthcare, which means that there is only one set of benefits at one premium. The plan being considered by Congress is not single-payer, and departs significantly from the principle of government-controlled healthcare. Unlike healthcare in those countries, every American or every employer that provides health insurance would be able to select the provider of their choice, and insurance companies would no longer be permitted to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

If you persist in making comparisons, the facts are: Citizens in England, Canada and Russia live longer than Americans; their obesity rate is one half of ours; the mortality rate of newborns is one half of ours; every citizen receives preventive care, and every citizen has insurance and a personal physician. By contrast, the American healthcare system costs twice as much as England, Canada, and Russia combined, and American insurance companies spend as much as one third of their budgets on advertising, lobbying, and administrative costs.

• California has tried to give medical treatment to its entire people; it is over $50 billion in debt, and the state is handling out IOUs to its workers.

You seem to attribute California’s financial difficulties solely to its healthcare program. Wrong. The financial problems in California are attributed directly to reduced revenue caused by the Bush recession. All state expenditures are being reduced, including police, fire and education. It is not easy finding a specific program that contributes disproportionally to their deficit, but healthcare is not among the top three.

• If the plan is so good for the American people, why are the people writing the bill (Congress and the President) unwilling to sign on for the coverage?

Members of Congress have the same health insurance options you do as a postal employee. All postal and federal employees are covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act (FEHBA). The program created by the FEHBA permits employees to select from among 35 health insurance plans for the coverage they prefer once per year. Employees make their selection based on their personal medical needs and the premiums of the plan they select. This program is the best health insurance program in our country – and it is operated by the government! The intent of Congress is to duplicate FEHBA design for all American citizens. Do you oppose that?

The president does not have insurance. The government provides medical care for him and his family, but once he leaves office, he will have the option of enrolling in a FEHBA plan no different than you.

• If the business you work for changes to the government plan, you will not be able to go and get your own insurance, you will be moved to the government plan.

Under the current system, if your employer changes coverage, you have no choice except to be covered by the new policy. If you are laid off, your insurance is discontinued. Your only option is to enroll as an individual in COBRA, and pay 100 percent of the premium for one year, after which you will lose coverage.

• Truth be told, everyone will eventually be on the government plan.

There is absolutely no requirement in the legislation to force anyone into the government plan. Each individual will make his or her selection except those workers who are covered by a plan selected by their employer. In those plans, each employer will select a plan after considering costs and benefits. Postal employees will continue enrollment in a FEHB plan, with the right to change plans once per year.

Under the legislation being considered, as a postal employee your health insurance will not change — except that your premium would not increase as rapidly as will if we continue under the present system.

Insurance premiums will not include payment for the uninsured in emergency rooms and people with medical problems cannot be denied coverage.

This is the most important healthcare legislation by our government since Medicare was enacted in 1965. It will provide access to medical care to every citizen, and it will reduce the cost. If nothing is done, costs will continue to rise at the historic rate of 10 percent per year. That means that every 7.4 years, health insurance costs will double.

This is a no-brainer, but there is so much at stake for insurance and pharmaceutical companies that they will do anything to stop healthcare reform, including propagating lies and distortions to protect their interests. Don’t you find it odd that all of the false information that you are receiving is paid for by lobbyists for these companies? If they are so worried about the health of American citizens, why haven’t they initiated some of the changes?

• This plan will ration healthcare.

How will reform ration health care if all citizens who have healthcare select the physician of their choice? There is nothing in the legislation that will limit the decisions of physicians.

Stripping away all of the rhetoric, insurance and pharmaceutical companies do not want health insurance reform because it will reduce their profits. Their campaign relies upon convincing citizens that change would adversely affect them; so they have resorted to lies and distortions. Lurking in the background is the reality that many people who opposed the Obama candidacy for president by spreading falsehoods are now spreading lies about health insurance reform.

August 5, 2009