Health Care Reform - Part 3 (revised)...

Greetings,

Last week I was asked by Organizing For America (President Obama's grass-roots PAC) to stop by Senator Patty Murray's Spokane office this week. I responded and committed to stop by today at 1:00pm. I wrote out a letter to the Democratic Senator, who, by the way, is most likely on our side anyway. Here is the letter I wrote:

"Dear Senator Murray,

I am writing you in regard to health care reform. I am sure that you have heard from thousands of your constituents about this issue, and if the events all over the rest of the nation are any indication, you’ve probably heard from a lot of people who are out to kill this reform bill. My purpose in writing this letter is to let you know that I, like most of the people I talk to here in Spokane, desperately want this bill to pass.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I was asked to write this letter and deliver it to your office in Spokane by Organizing For America. However, my interest in this issue and my willingness to get involved has nothing to do with Organizing For America. I am not their representative, and have had no involvement with their organization beyond agreeing to pay your office a visit this afternoon.

I am currently self-employed while attending college at Eastern Washington University, and I am un-insured. However, from 2006 to 2008 I was a licensed health insurance agent here in Washington. I worked for an independent broker and in that capacity, I specialized in selling individual insurance policies to real estate professionals and small group plans to employers outside of Washington. I have worked closely with the insurers here in Washington like Premera, Regence/Asuris, and Group Health, and I have also worked closely with for-profit carriers in other states like Humana and United Health Care.

Throughout my relatively short tenure in the health insurance industry I was charged with the difficult task of telling these hard working Americans that their insurance premiums were increasing by double-digit percentages. I facilitated hundreds of renewals and cannot remember a single incident in which the premiums decreased without decreasing coverage. On average, the small businesses I worked with here in Washington were paying monthly premiums of over $400 per employee for coverage that was becoming increasingly lean. When I began selling insurance to employers in other states, I realized that those states have it even worse than Washington does. Time and time again I would tell auto mechanics in states like Texas and Ohio that their monthly premiums for a relatively terrible plan would be almost (and sometimes over) $1000 per employee!

One of the points my Republican Congresswoman likes to bring up when asked about health care reform is that she’s supported legislation to allow Washington residents to buy insurance from other states. Obviously this doesn’t help us much at all.

Even with my experience in the health insurance industry, I am not sure what the best solution to this situation is, but I am sure that we’ve got to do something. I listen to stories about free universal health care in countries like Canada, Great Britain, and France, and I think to myself, “Gee, that would be nice.” I also, hear a lot of horror stories about the system in Canada. This reminds me that no system is perfect, and there are always going to be dissatisfied consumers. I would, then, just like to take this opportunity to spell out what is most important to me as your constituent with regard to health care reform.

First, and most importantly, I would like our new system to be affordable for everyone. I don’t care if it means raising taxes a little. When you look at small businesses spending at least $400-$500 per employee per month on health care, even a couple hundred more dollars a year in taxes to reduce or eliminate those premiums would be a more than fair trade off – especially if it means that everyone can afford coverage.

In Washington State, we have already regulated the insurance industries use of the “pre-existing conditions” clauses quite a bit, but it would be nice to see it eliminated all together. Auto insurers can use one’s driving record to determine premiums, but medical conditions should not be used in the same way. Even though preventative care can do a lot of good, it can’t completely wipe out diseases like cancer, heart disease, M.S., etc. and so people should not be denied coverage based on those or any other condition. Access to affordable health care is not a privilege to be granted like a driver’s license!

Lastly, I would like our new system to guarantee a sustainable level of quality benefits for those covered. As I mentioned earlier, I watched premiums increase astronomically while coverage levels decreased. This is unacceptable and our new system needs to be clear of these types of trends. Insurance companies love to promote “consumer-driven” health plans with outrageously high deductibles and out of pocket limits, limits on annual doctor visits, and lab/x-rays. Our new system should steer clear of these idiotic plans. Period.

Thank you so much for your time and attention on this matter. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have of me, or if there is any way in which I can help you pass the reform this country needs."

I delivered this letter in person today and met with Jennifer Martinez, Senator Murray's Eastern Washington Representative. Ms. Martinez was very courteous and polite as she listened to my concerns, taking notes throughout our conversation. She let me know that Senator Murray sits on the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, which is currently working on one of the two health care bills in the Senate. She also directed me to the Senator's website, http://murray.senate.gov, which outlines the Senator's priorities on this issue and offers a place for constituents to show their support for reform.

I also learned that Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers' Spokane office is just down the hall from Senator Murray's office, so I think I may pay that office a visit in the next day or two with my answers to her office's reply to my earlier letter. I would have stopped by today, but I wanted to make sure I had all of my notes before I went in there.

Some of you reading this might wonder why I am spending so much time on it, and whether or not I think my actions are really going to change anything. The reason I am spending so much time on this issue is because of my experience in the health insurance industry. I know quite a few reasonable, average Americans who are buying into all of the hype and hysteria that the right-wing talk show hosts are spewing forth about single-payer and universal health care being socialism, etc. Most people don't understand how the system works, and because of that, they are easy to scare - especially when you're talking about implementing major reform. I want to do whatever I can to let the people in my circle of influence know that, as someone with an intimate knowledge of our current health insurance system, I support reform. I realize that my letters, blog posts, and office visits are just a drop in the bucket, but I want my drop in that bucket. I feel better about myself knowing that I have done what I can to help make this country better, and I hope that by blogging about it and sending updates on Twitter and Facebook, those people who know me might be inspired to do what they can as well.

If any of you have any questions about the health care system and what is being proposed to reform it, I would love it if you drop me a line and chat with me about it. reverendhumpy@comcast.net

Thanks for reading, and as always...

I am the Reverend Humpy and I have approved this message.