Vows to have bill on the floor of the senate soon -- and it will have a public option

Fast facts:

* More than half the people filing bankruptcy are doing so because of medical bills.

* Since 2000 insurance premiums in Nevada have gone up 60 percent.

* 27 percent of Nevada’s children didn’t go to the dentist last year.

* 38 percent didn’t have the resources for the flue shot.

* Nationally, medical providers racked up 335,000,000 in bad debt from sick people without insurance who were unable to pay their bills. WASHINGTON DC — Senator Harry Reid reached out to voters across Nevada for a Thursday afternoon discussion on health insurance reform – via a Tele-town hall where thousands of voters joined the senator over the telephone.  Reid began the conversation by noting some of the problems Nevadans face with health insurance, and he also took the opportunity to dispel some of the myths about the legislation.

Just because someone says it repeatedly does not make it true:  Reid attempted to dispel some of the rumors that have been circulating about health insurance reform.  For example, Reid called ridiculous the rumors of death panels; though, senior citizens will have the opportunity to meet with their doctors once a year and discuss the health care they may need over the course of the next year.  He refuted the notion the bill would provide health insurance for illegal immigrants, which has been debunked here, there and everywhere as untrue; though, some people had trouble during the tele-town hall letting go of that particular rumor.  Reid also called “laughable” the rumor the health-insurance reform would give the government access to anyone’s bank accounts.  He also assured those on the call that health care would not be rationed.

Quoting President Barack Obama, Reid said, “This is not a program for poor people; this is a program for the American people.”  He assured voters no one would be going to jail over lack of health insurance.

Reid blamed the bad information on the health-insurance industry who, he said, are waging a “turf battle” and added, “They’re spending money trying to destroy and divert ... “Why?  Look at the profits they’re making.”  He added in the bad economy the drug and pharmaceutical companies are still profiting.

Reid commits to working for a public option:  Throughout the tele-town hall Reid assured voters he would be working for a public option.  In response to a question, he said “I believe the public option is so vitally important to create a level field and prevent the insurance companies from taking advantage of us.  There’s nothing to keep them honest.”  He pointed out only two industries are exempt from US anti – trust laws:  Major League Baseball and the health-insurance industry.  He commented when all was said and done there would be a public option, “Maybe not the one I want, but there will be one.”  He said multiple times a public option would “level the playing field” between insurance companies and the public.

Reducing waste and fraud in Medicare:  Reid was criticized by at least one caller and several others questioned him closely about potential cuts to Medicare.  He moved to assure voters the only cuts to Medicare would be in the areas of waste and abuse.  He commented, “We can recoup hundreds of billions of dollars with this legislation by cutting fraud and abuse.”

He acknowledged Medicare may not be perfect, but argued it is better than what we had before – which was nothing.  He remembered a time when he sat on the governing board for a hospital in Las Vegas and the problems he saw there for the elderly without insurance.

Read the bill: A caller in Henderson complained health insurance reform legislation was being rammed down the throats of the American public, and then asked if the bill would be posted on the Internet in advance so the public could read it.

Reid refuted the idea the legislation was being forced on an unwilling public.   He continued and pointed out there have been scores of meetings, dozens of hearings, and forums across the country.  He commented, “All the time I’ve been back here (Washington) I’ve never had a piece of legislation that had this amount of scrutiny.”  He reminded the voters of Senate rules that require the legislation to be posted on the Internet for the public to review.  He also said experts were being brought in to assist legislators during the review process.  

The cost of health insurance reform: A caller from Virginia City asked the senator about the national debt and wondered how the reform would be paid for.  Reid explained  there’s also a debt for doing nothing. He argued it cost those who are insured approximately $1,000 -- and more -- each yea for those who are uninsured. Among the avenues that could be used for saving money was a wellness program based on a very successful program implemented by Safeway that rewards employees who take care of their health through exercising and quitting smoking.

Winnemucca weighs in: Reid took a question from Winnemucca from Deborah who questioned the senator about the high cost of having insurance.  Deborah said the cost of health insurance for her family, which includes five children, is a $1000 a month.  She acknowledged she has good insurance, but said the cost is “killing us.”  She asked if there was going to be a cap on what they pay under the new legislation.

Senator Reid pointed out the difficulty of answering the question without knowing more about her insurance. He said, “You’re the perfect example of why we have to do this … someone with five children doesn’t need to give an arm and a leg to be taken care of.”  He told her under the reform legislation she would have a program similar to that of federal employees, who have options of which insurance program best suits their individual situation.

* Reid said general-practice doctors can be given tax credits to off-set the cost of their malpractice insurance.

* In response to a question about tort reform, Reid noted the state of Nevada already has legislation capping the amount patients involved in malpractice suits can receive.  He also pointed out approximately 147,000 people last year were subject to mistakes made by doctors and hospitals -- sometimes those mistakes were fatal.  He commented, “The doctors should stop whining about this and take care of their patients.”

* Reid said a significant amount of money could be saved each year if the pharmaceutical industry would reduce its national advertising, which represents a significant portion of their yearly budget.  Reid called such spending by the big drug companies “wasted money.”