A Nebraskan's View by Senator Ben Nelson

Monday, June 8, 2009 NEBRASKANS CARE ABOUT HEALTH REFORM While I come back to Nebraska every weekend, I took the opportunity this past Memorial Day break to talk to several dozen Nebraskans about health care and hear their priorities for reform. I met with patients and consumers, medical providers and advocates, and businesses struggling to provide insurance for their workers. Each of these folks came from different backgrounds and had unique concerns, but everyone spoke of the need to achieve substantive and effective reforms to bring down health care costs. Nebraskans Want Affordable Coverage Today, more than 85 percent of Nebraskans have health insurance coverage but many continuously struggle to keep up with increasing costs. Many of these individuals have done everything right to make sure they and their families are covered, but their premiums keep eating up more and more of their paycheck. While they were all pleased to hear health insurers won’t any longer deny pre-existing conditions and will guarantee coverage for all, they also asked that we make sure whatever comprehensive plan emerges from Congress does not destabilize the coverage they currently have, or worsen the annual cost increases families face. Businesses Need Relief Almost two-thirds of the non-Medicare (65 and under) population obtains health coverage through their employer, so it is critical that we strengthen that coverage and make sure businesses are not priced out of providing health insurance. Many of the Nebraska businesses I spoke with have already implemented prevention and wellness programs, but continue to see the cost of coverage ratchet up year after year. This impacts their competitiveness and makes it harder for them to meet the moral obligation they feel to provide high quality health care to employees who commit themselves to their jobs. Health Care Strain felt by Providers Across-the-board, I heard from providers who struggled to keep up with demand or from patients who simply couldn’t access care because there aren’t enough qualified doctors, nurses and other medical technicians, especially in rural Nebraska. Many expressed concern about insuring more people through a government-run plan because of low Medicare reimbursement rates. They already create a cost shift when providers are forced to charge non-Medicare patients more just to balance the books. Estimates suggest that 15 percent of Nebraskan’s insurance premiums, when combined with uncompensated care, are due to this cost shift. The President Supported Option We’re trying to find a way to insure 45 million people who don’t have insurance and need to make sure that whatever is done is done right because we probably won’t get a do-over. The final reform plan should take into account the wishes of the many Nebraskans I met with and should not destabilize the insurance that 250 million Americans already have, and it should be focused on bringing down costs. During the campaign, the President said Americans should be able to keep the coverage they have or be able to choose between plans like members of Congress have. I agree. I look forward to seeing the President’s plan and to working with my colleagues in the Senate to make sure health care reform delivers for Nebraskans.