Tax Day Fright

Just when families finish juggling last year’s taxes, Republican Presidential candidate Senator John McCain supports a plan that places a larger tax burden on American workers. Just today he said, “We need tax policies that respect workers” and encourage work, but his plan for reforming the nation’s health care system sends a chilling message to working Americans who would lose employer-provided health benefits and pay more in taxes.

The Republican plan would:

• Make health benefits a taxable benefit requiring working people who get their health coverage through work to pay higher taxes

• Encourage employers to discontinue offering health care benefits
• Force people to negotiate with big insurance companies on their own
• Support the creation of Health Savings Accounts with high deductibles
• Offer a tax credit $2500 (individual) and $5000 (family) to offset insurance costs
  • Average cost per individual almost $6000/year

  • Average cost per family almost $7500/year

I agree that we need to reform our nation’s health care system and soon. We cannot allow 47 million Americans including nearly 9 million children to go without adequate health care. I support universal health care coverage that is fair and allows choice, but on a day when most Americans are focused on paying their taxes, I want to state my opposition to a plan that increases taxes on working people. I will work to:

• Maintain employer-sponsored health care benefits

• Allow individuals to buy from the federal employees’ plan
• Provide tax credits to small businesses offering health care benefits
  • address need to access affordable plans

  • provide credits up to 50%
  • complement tax credits to individuals/families
• Limit premiums to percentage of income
• Strengthen Medicare to protect Seniors and allow early retirees to buy-in
• Strengthen Medicaid and SCHIP to provide adequate health care to lower-income families, especially children

Most Americans understand the need to address the rising cost of health care and the importance of coverage. There is agreement on the need to control costs by:

• Avoiding overpayments by Medicare

• Modernizing care delivery system
• Improving information technology to streamline process, improve efficiency and avoid mistakes
• Negotiating better drug prices
• Promoting prevention and wellness programs
• Avoiding unnecessary tests

John McCain says the biggest problem with America’s health care is inflation and that responsibilities must be shifted from employers to the individual. The Republicans have been pushing Health Savings Accounts and privatization as the solution. It does not work and it does not improve health care - just look at the 2003 Bush Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Plan:

• Forced 32 million seniors into paying higher premiums without making the effort to control prescription drug costs.

• Dropped coverage for out-of-pocket expenses between $2250 – 5100
• Prevents federal government from negotiating lower drug prices
• Threatened employer-provided drug benefits of retirees

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett has consistently voted against fixing what is wrong with our health care system and he says one thing to us and votes the other way when he gets to Washington:

• Voted against expansion of SCHIP offering additional coverage to 100,000 of Maryland’s neediest children even though he supported the creation of the program

• Voted for GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Bill that forced seniors to pay higher premiums and pay more for prescription drugs
• Voted against expanding military’s TRICARE health insurance program for thousands of military Reservists (20%) and National Guard members (@40%) without coverage
• Took thousands of dollars from drug companies and voted against getting generic drugs to the market faster
• Took thousands in contributions from Tom Delay’s PAC, John Boehner’s PAC, Roy Blunt’s PAC and voted 92% with GOP leadership

When the issues are so important, we need to have a Member in the House of Representatives who will exercise good judgment and focus on the real issues, not just fall in line for a party-line vote. The American Public Health Institute gives Roscoe Bartlett a dismal rank of 22% for his votes on health initiatives. That’s not good enough.

I am interested in fighting for solutions, not just party unity. My experience as a small business owner and mayor gives me real-world experiences that will help shape my decisions. I know that businesses cannot compete if we don’t improve the system. And, I know that the federal government needs to play a role in the solutions.

We know it will cost more than 100 billion dollars to fix this system. If we put that in perspective, the cost of the Iraq War exceeds $ 2 trillion – so far! $350 million per day! If we had focused our efforts on health care, more than 60,000 adults and more than 122,000 children would have health care in the 6th District alone.

Marylanders understand that reforming our nation’s health care system will require commitment, creativity and compromise. I promise that I will work on practical solutions that are fair and effective – getting everyone the coverage they need!