Senate Aging Committee Chair Joins Moderate
Democrats to Meet with Obama on Health Care
Sen. Herb Kohl stresses need for health care reform
to reduce the cost of health care in U.S.
Sept.
11, 2009 – The chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen.
Herb Kohl (D-WI), joined the Moderate Democrat Working Group to meet
yesterday with President Barack Obama. He emphasized the need for health
care reform to reign in the rising costs of health care, while
maintaining quality and expanding access.
"We need to do a better job of conveying to the
American people what we're going to do to reduce costs-not just to
contain costs, but reduce costs-and still maintain quality health care,
which is totally doable," Kohl said.
"We all understand that we want to move toward
universal coverage, but I don't think we're focusing enough on costs.
Insurance premiums are going up and up and up. This is not
sustainable."
A statement from Sen. Kohl’s office said he has
“consistently pushed for health reform legislation to address the
skyrocketing cost of health care, which is breaking the bank for
American families, American businesses, and the government.
“The United States spends $7,290 on health care per
person, per year-while the average spent by the 30 most developed
countries in the OECD is $2,960 per person, per year.
“Despite this wide discrepancy in spending, studies
show that the U.S. ranks below average on major health indicators,
including infant mortality and life expectancy, when compared to these
other industrialized countries.
“Senator Kohl has urged the inclusion of provisions
that will control costs by ensuring that the federal government pays for
value of care, not volume, and eliminating duplicative testing and
over-treatment. Under Medicare's current reimbursement system,
physicians are reimbursed based on the volume of services provided
without regard to quality. Payments vary widely throughout the country
and are based upon outdated data assumptions.”
Kohl has also pointed to the efficiency and quality
of care that certain programs and health systems in his home state of
Wisconsin provide as proof that we can maintain and improve health care
in America while lowering costs.
“The success of SeniorCare, Wisconsin's popular
senior drug coverage program, shows that negotiating the prices of
prescription drugs saves money. In Wisconsin, drug company rebates pay
for 40 percent of the program's costs, saving taxpayers nearly $560 per
person per year,” according to Sen. Kohl.
He also added that studies have show that if all
Medicare patients received the care provided by in the top 100 hospitals
in the country, several of which are found in Wisconsin, annual health
spending would be reduced by $5.9 billion. Savings would be realized
because improved care would reduce 132,000 patient complications a year
and shorten the average patient stay by nearly half a day.
Kohl is also expressed support of measures to
expand the use of health information technology, which he says has been
shown to save lives by reducing medical errors and save money by
promoting efficiency in testing and communication; support the use of
generic drugs and get them to the market faster; and encourage Americans
to engage in preventive care and healthy lifestyles.
Lawmakers face balancing act - limit insurers to a small difference in premiums between older and younger people and younger ones likely
to pay far more than now; allow larger spread, and boomers may be priced
out of coverage. Seniors on Medicare not affected.
Democrats have a senior citizen problem, reports
Politico; also fighting full-blown myths -
attacks claiming reform would create government 'death panels'
authorizing euthanasia
Sept.
11, 2009 – The chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen.
Herb Kohl (D-WI), joined the Moderate Democrat Working Group to meet
yesterday with President Barack Obama. He emphasized the need for health
care reform to reign in the rising costs of health care, while
maintaining quality and expanding access.
