The topic of health care is a both a vital and passionate issue for both myself and the constituents of the 13th Congressional District. Throughout my years in public service I have continued to support initiatives that seek to ensure quality health care programs and services for the constituents I serve and finding innovative and effective ways to ensure American’s access to first-rate health care and insurance options is of utmost concern. Since 2007, House Democrats have held 100 health reform-related hearings, held nearly 3,000 health reform events with constituents since the beginning of this year and heard 181 witnesses on health reform bill hearings. These meetings brought about significant changes to the original draft health care bill, H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, and led to the creation of H.R. 3962 which addresses many of the concerns expressed by constituents both in the 13th district and around the country.
I voted in favor of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act because I believe it is an important step in addressing the many problems that are occurring in our health care system. The number of uninsured in Georgia has increased from 1.3 million in 2001 to 1.7 million in 2008. There are also a large number of uninsured constituents in the 13th District. Currently, 15 percent of people in the Cobb, Douglas, and DeKalb County portions of the 13th District are without health care and 24 percent of Clayton County residents are uninsured. Additionally, the percent of non-elderly adults without insurance increased from 18.8% to 23.0%. And this number only considers people who are uninsured for an entire year – it does not include people in Georgia who have more recently lost coverage through the recession, or who had shorter gaps in their coverage. Through health insurance reform, 1,399,600 to 1,575,900 middle class Georgia residents will be eligible for premium credits to ease the burden of these high costs. Health insurance reform will prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on your health, and it will end discrimination that charges you more if you’re sick or a woman.
However, it is not enough to just have quality health insurance. The progress of this great nation is also dependent on the actual health of this its people. Currently, 10 percent of people in Georgia have diabetes, and 30 percent have high blood pressure. We must place a greater focus on preventative care and the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. That is why during the 111th Congress, I co-sponsored H.R. 2425, the Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2009, which recognizes of state- licensed or registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators as Medicare providers of diabetes outpatient self-management training services. Diabetes is a growing epidemic, and I am deeply concerned with the increase of cases in our state and across the country over the last several years. According to national statistics, diabetes is the sixth most common cause of death in Georgia. Over 600,000 Georgians suffer from this disease, yet one-third do not know they have it. It is imperative that tackle not only the causes but treatment of this disease so that more constituents in the 13th District have a greater chance of living a normal life while living with this disease. I will continue to support bills and programs that focus on the prevention and management of chronic diseases that effect 13th District constituents.
We also must place a greater focus on increasing the number of primary care physicians in this country. In the United States, specialists outnumber primary-care doctors 2-to-1 with primary care doctors currently making up only 2.6 percent of all doctors in Georgia. In addition to this, medical associations and industry organizations are predicting that the demand for primary care doctors will outpace the number of physicians taking on such careers in the years ahead. In order to increase the number of primary care physicians in this country, there must be greater incentives for medical school graduates to go into primary care. For this reason, I co-sponsored H.R. 2452, the Preserving Patient Access to Primary Care Act of 2009, which would authorize the Secretary of Education to award recruitment incentive grants or contracts to graduate medical schools to enable them to improve primary care education and training for medical students. We all have a stake in maintaining and improving Georgia’s healthcare system. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure healthcare continues to be at the forefront of our discussions. It is of utmost importance, and Georgians deserve no less. I am here to work for Georgia, and I will continue to put forth a dedicated effort towards quality healthcare initiatives.
SCHIP
In this recession, more and more American parents are having difficulty finding affordable health insurance for their children. On February 4th, I joined a majority in the House of Representatives in support of the final version of the bipartisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill, better known in Georgia as PeachCare. The SCHIP Reauthorization bill is an updated version of the legislation vetoed twice by President Bush (H.R. 976). The legislation reauthorizes the SCHIP program through fiscal year 2013 and will provide federal funding to enable states to maintain their current programs and extend them to 4 million additional uninsured children in modest-income families. The bill was signed by President Obama, becoming Public Law 111-3.
It only costs $3.50 a day to cover a child through the Children’s Health Insurance program. Insuring kids is also cost-effective for taxpayers who pick up the tab for indigent care in emergency rooms – the most expensive way to care for a child’s health – as well as because a healthy child is more likely to succeed.
The program is supported by 43 governors, 260 organizations representing millions of Americans and is supported by a strong majority of Americans. We must ensure we do not let our children down at the expense of political maneuvering and game playing. I am determined to continue to work with my colleagues to ensure this program remains strong and a viable source of health care coverage for millions of America’s children.
