U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) recorded the following message today on health care reform for KSER radio in Snohomish County, Washington. Following are Larsen’s remarks as prepared for delivery.
“This is Congressman Rick Larsen. Thank you to the League of Women Voters and KSER radio for this important public service and for giving me the opportunity to talk to your listeners about health care reform.
“The skyrocketing cost of health care is one of the greatest challenges we face as a country. Bringing down health care costs is critical for families, businesses and our long-term economic growth.
“But before I talk about what we need to change, let’s talk about some of the progress President Obama and this Congress have already made on expanding access to quality health care.
“In February, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law legislation to provide health care to 11 million children across the country. The Children’s Health Insurance Program bill, or CHIP, ensures that nearly 1,000 kids in Snohomish County alone who haven’t been covered will now get the care they need. Moreover, it will save money in the long-run by reducing expensive emergency room visits as primary care.
“CHIP was an important step forward, but there is still a need for action.
“In the past eight years, health care premiums have grown four times faster than wages, and an additional nine million Americans have become uninsured. Many of our neighbors who have health care are just a pink slip away from joining the nearly 46 million Americans who are uninsured.
“And while Americans are spending more money per-person on health care than anywhere else in the world, we are not seeing the results we deserve from that investment.
“President Obama has said that health care reform is not just a moral imperative, it is an economic imperative. If we want to create jobs and rebuild our economy, then we must address the crushing cost of health care on our families and businesses.
“President Obama has set the goal of enacting comprehensive health care reform by the end of this year. We have much work to do to meet that goal, but I believe that we can reach it. I will be working in Congress to pass health care reform that works for families and businesses in Snohomish County and across our state.
“There are many ideas for health care reform on the table.
“Most agree that health care reform must cover all Americans, reduce the cost of health care and improve quality. How we get to that point is the subject of considerable debate in Congress.
“Some of my colleagues in Congress support establishing a new public plan that would provide Americans with an alternative to the private health insurance market.
“Others support requiring all Americans to have health care coverage, with financial support from the federal government for those who can’t afford to pay.
“Still others support insurance market reforms so that health care coverage is more affordable for individuals and businesses.
“These are important issues that I will be closely examining over the next several months. As a starting point, I support the principles that President Obama has laid out:
“First, we need to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in government health programs. If we want greater accountability and responsibility, we must ensure that people aren’t overcharged for prescription drugs, or discriminated against for pre-existing conditions. If we want to bring down skyrocketing costs, we need to invest in health information technology to improve quality, reform the way we pay our medical providers and invest in prevention.
“Second, if we want to cover all Americans, we cannot make the mistake of trying to fix what isn’t broken. If people have insurance and doctors they like, they should be able to keep them.
“I will also work to ensure that Washington state physicians and hospitals are reimbursed fairly. Currently Washington state medical providers are paid less than their counterparts in other areas of the country because they provide efficient and cost-effective health care.
“Finally, if we want to turn these goals into policies, we need to make our discussion about health care reform as transparent and inclusive as possible. To help make that a reality here in Snohomish County and the 2nd Congressional District, I invite everyone to visit my website, www.house.gov/larsen and click on “contact” to send me an email with your thoughts about health care reform.
“For those of you who just joined us, this is Congressman Rick Larsen. Thank you again to the League of Women Voters and KSER radio for devoting time to this important issue.”
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