Congressman Pete King

Rep. King Speaks Out on Health Care

August 7, 2009

As you know President Obama and Democratic leaders want to enact nationalized health care in our country and have prepared a number of measures.

The most prominent is America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200), which would include a costly government insurance plan funded by taxpayer dollars.

I support commonsense reforms to our healthcare system. Eliminating archaic practices that exclude individuals because of pre-existing conditions and expanding access to those who currently have no care should be the center of this debate. What the legislation should NOT do, however, is jeopardize the coverage of millions of people.

Unfortunately, H.R. 3200 does just that. In fact, independent analyses show that 2 out of every 3 people could lose their current coverage, including up to 114 million people who receive health benefits through their employer. In addition, this legislation eliminates access to individual insurance plans. Div. I, Title I, Sec. 102 of the bill does not allow plans to sell individual coverage to new enrollees, which will ultimately eliminate these policies. As a result, the 672,495 New Yorkers who purchase their insurance in the individual market could lose their coverage. H.R. 3200 also eliminates Health Savings Accounts which are currently held by 213,715 individuals in New York.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 3200 would cost $1.3 trillion and increase the federal deficit by at least $240 billion over the next 10 years. To help pay for this plan, the bill cuts $500 billion dollars from the Medicare program. These Medicare cuts alone would take $298.6 million from hospitals and $144.5 from nursing homes in the 3rd Congressional District. Payments would also be reduced for our 22,332 beneficiaries who participate in Medicare Advantage plans.

At a time when Long Island is still trying to recuperate from economic losses, H.R. 3200 would subject small businesses to high taxes and new mandates. The bill raises the top small business and individual income tax rate to 56.92% in New York State! According to the bi-partisan Joint Tax Committee, 42% of all small business income will be subject to this tax and the payroll of 62% of New York’s small business employees could be impacted. This will cause companies and jobs to leave New York.

Americans have the leading doctors, the most advanced medical technology and the best hospitals in the world. Major government officials from other countries come to the United States for their operations (mortality rates for illnesses such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, for instance, are much higher in Britain and Canada than the United States and waiting times for such common procedures such as mammograms and MRIs are much longer than in the United States).

If we are going to reform and improve our healthcare system it should be to make affordable healthcare available to more Americans. We should do this by working within our current system and adding to it. We don’t need or want a system similar to what has failed in Europe and Canada.

I will oppose any effort by the Administration which would ration care, lead to a government takeover of healthcare, allow government bureaucrats to stand between patients and their health plans or force people such as union members from their current plans.

Don’t hesitate to contact me as this debate goes forward.

All the best.