Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Throughout the health care debate, what's been most important to me and the thousands of Oakland County residents I've spoken to is that health care reform lowers costs for small businesses, seniors and middle class families, reduces the deficit and protects working people from losing their coverage if they get sick or lose their job. I have also been a strong advocate that all Americans should be able to buy into the same health coverage as Members of Congress.

In Michigan, health care premiums have risen 17 times faster than wages in the last eight years and prescription drug and hospital visit costs have skyrocketed. Premiums are about to jump again in Michigan; this time insurers are seeking an increase up to a whopping FIFTY-SIX PERCENT. Seniors and families are suffering the consequences of rising health care costs, becoming unable to afford health care for themselves or their kids at all, or losing their homes and having to file for bankruptcy. Families with insurance are RIGHT NOW paying $1,000 more each year in health insurance premiums to cover the cost of treating the uninsured. Families simply cannot afford this any longer, and that's why reform that lowers their costs is needed.

Rising health care costs are also a drag on our economy, killing small businesses in particular. Health care premiums for businesses are expected to double by 2019, causing families to lose their health coverage, or lose their jobs altogether. In fact, it is projected that one in five employers will drop their health plan in the next three to five years. Eleven million Americans who have coverage today would lose their employer provided health insurance in the next nine years without reform.

Health care costs are also a main contributor to government budget deficits. Health care spending grew in 2009 to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy--representing the largest one-year jump since 1960. If no health care reform is enacted, by 2012, our government health care expenditures will actually eclipse private health care spending for the first time in history. Spiraling health care costs will make it impossible for our nation to recover from the large deficits we face. That's why it is imperative that we take action to get health care spending under control this year.

Over the long year of debate on health care, I spoke with thousands of Oakland County residents and medical professionals about health care reform at countless meetings and public forums. I listened to local residents and local health care professionals at dozens of public community events organized by my office (including an 800 person town hall in September), five major health care roundtable discussions, telephone town halls, public community organization meetings, hospital visits and tours, and many other various meetings and events. To lower costs for families, seniors and businesses, make our system more stable, stop insurance companies from kicking off people who get sick and denying people with preexisting conditions and to help get the federal deficit under control, the vast majority agreed that their was a tremendous need for health care reform.

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