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N.C. Senators on Finance Commitee's health care proposal

The Senate Finance Committee rolled out its long-awaited health care bill today. Once it is vetted by the full committee, it will be mashed together with the bill from the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, where North Carolina Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr sit.

According to a Washington Post story (click here), Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus is doing so without support from any Senate Republicans, who had been trying to bring on board. From the story:

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus unveiled a much-anticipated health-care reform plan Wednesday that would require nearly all Americans to carry health insurance while barring insurance companies from discriminating against people based on their health status or denying coverage because of preexisting conditions.
The plan does not call for a government-run insurance option, as advocated by President Obama and most Democrats, but would set up a system of nonprofit consumer-owned cooperatives to compete with private insurers -- a provision intended to appeal to Republicans who have railed against the "public option" in recent weeks.

The Congressional Budget Office issued a "preliminary analysis" saying that the plan would cost a total of $774 billion over 10 years and would "result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $49 billion" from 2010 to 2019. Baucus had estimated the cost of the plan at $856 billion. There was no immediate explanation for the differing estimates.

So what do North Carolina’s Senators think?

Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, doesn't exactly endorse the measure but she seems to be willing with some of the ideas in it. She offered this written statement:

“Last week, I joined a group of other moderate Democrats who discussed with the President the importance of ensuring the health care reform package is fiscally responsible. I am pleased the Finance Committee produced a bill that does not increase our deficit. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will reduce our federal deficit by $49 billion over the next ten years. I also commend Chairman Max Baucus for working hard with our colleagues across the aisle to include Republican input in the bill.

“I am very supportive of the insurance market reforms in the Finance bill, which are similar to those that we passed in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. It prevents insurance companies from turning you away due to a preexisting condition, removes annual and lifetime caps on coverage, and removes co-pays for preventative services.

“The Finance Committee bill also includes a CO-OP model, one backstop option for providing insurance to those without employer-sponsored care. I would like to see a backstop option included in the final bill.

“While there are many details that still need to be worked out, we ultimately need health insurance reform that ensures people who like their insurance and doctors keep them, expands access to health insurance for those without it, and slows down the skyrocketing cost of health care. I am committed to working with my Senate colleagues to ensure these critical components are included in the final bill.”

Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, is against it. He offered this written statement:

“The need for health care reform is clear, but it is even more important that we get this right so that our children and grandchildren do not have to spend a lifetime correcting our mistakes.

“I appreciate the Finance Committee chairman’s commitment to working across the aisle on this important issue. Unfortunately, the proposal put forth today fails several crucial tests. In addition to increasing spending and raising taxes, it also cuts Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars. It makes no sense to jeopardize health coverage for seniors to pay for health care reform. Further, this plan is not financially sustainable over the long-term. It is imperative that Congress listen to the concerns of their constituents and get it right, rather than focus on arbitrary timelines and rushed solutions.”

You can offer your own written statement at the comment link below.
 

Accompanying Photos

Photo Caption: Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C. and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. are seen on Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)