Reply from Senator Carper

[DrLeftover]

Posted as received.

May 20, 2013

Dear Dr. Levite:

Thank you for contacting me in regards to your concerns about exemptions from the Affordable Care Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

Health care is an issue that touches us all personally. It affects each and every one of us, and it affects our families. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which shares jurisdiction over health care with the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, I worked with my colleagues throughout the past year to develop legislative policy—the Affordable Care Act—that improves health care outcomes in America, while reining in the growth of health care costs, to enable us to extend coverage to many of the more than 40 million Americans who lack that coverage today - including over 100,000 Delawareans.

As you may know, members of Congress must purchase private health insurance from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB), a collection of over 300 insurance plans available to over 8 million federal employees and their families. While members of Congress do have access to an Attending Physician in the U.S. Capitol and can receive treatment at any military hospital, these special privileges are not free and must be paid for with private insurance coverage.

With that being said, let me assure you that members of Congress are not exempt from the regulations of the Affordable Care Act. All Americans are subject to the same rules and policies established in the healthcare bill, including members of Congress and their staff. In fact, Section 1312 of the Affordable Care Act specifically mandates that members of Congress have healthcare plans that were created by the new legislation or participate in an exchange established by the bill beginning in 2014.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans are getting discounts on prescription drugs, free preventive services, and increased access to affordable health care coverage. Since the law was enacted, 16,924 Delaware residents have saved over $15 million on prescription drugs. Furthermore, over 32 million Americans have received free preventive services, including screenings for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The Affordable Care Act has allowed over 6 million young adults to gain health insurance coverage through their parents' plan, including 6,000 Delawareans. This law has also ensured that 17 million children with pre-existing conditions are no longer denied coverage, including 49,000 Delawareans. Beginning in 2014, insurance plans will no longer be able to deny health insurance to a person of any age because of a pre-existing condition. These are just some of the many provisions that help Americans gain access to quality, affordable health care.

With that being said, the Affordable Care Act is far from perfect, and I believe we must constantly look for ways to improve health outcomes and make our health care system more efficient. We must find out what is working, such as electronic medical records and accountable care organizations, and do more of that and revise policies that are not working. I appreciate hearing your suggestions on how to improve our health care system, and I welcome your continued feedback in the months to come.

For a more thorough and comprehensive explanation of health care reform, as well as a timeline for the implementation of the new law, I urge you to visit the following site: www.healthcare.gov

Please be assured that I will keep working with my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to ensure that Americans have access to quality, affordable health care coverage. Again, thank you for contacting me and please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about other matters of importance to you.

With best personal regards, I am

Sincerely,

Tom Carper
United States Senator

 

[Evil Eye]

*switches back and forth between this letter and the other one while reading.*

Hmm, aren't those just suspiciously similar?

 

[DrLeftover]

nnnnoooooo


Would one politician steal 'talking points' from another politician?

 

[Evil Eye]

Oh no, never.
Their writers were probably in the same class though.