Both of county's U.S. reps say they're standing up for rural areas on health care

As the health-care debate in Washington continues, the congressmen for this region say they have been pushing protection of rural health-care needs and priorities.

While U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, and Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville, support reforming health care, both have raised concerns about the reform legislation currently working its way through Congress. Space represents the 18th District, whose area includes parts of northern Athens County, while Wilson represents the 6th District, whose area includes the city of Athens and the rest of Athens County.

Space took what he called in a press release his "demands" to President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

"My constituents are crying out for reform of a system that has denied coverage, refused to pay, and leaves millions without access to health care," Space said in a statement. "But when we reform the system, we cannot put our small businesses and rural hospitals in jeopardy. That is what the bill as it currently stands would do."

Space said he is not opposed to health-care reform, but Congress needs to make sure it's done right. "If slowing down the process, holding ongoing negotiations, and drawing a line in the sand are what it takes to do what is right for my constituents, then so be it," he said.

Three issues need to be addressed, Space noted. These include "bold cost containment in the current system," changes in the payment rate to protect hospitals from bankruptcy and a higher exemption rate for small businesses.

Space sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has the primary responsibility to draft the legislation. As one of seven fiscally conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats sitting on the committee, Space and the others have been slowing the deliberations, leading to their meeting with Obama on Tuesday.

With regard to cost containment, Space said that if nothing is done at all, the cost of an employer-sponsored family health insurance plan reaches $24,000 by 2016 "“ an increase of 84 percent. "That means most American households spend 45 percent of their income on health insurance," his release stated. He said that combined with the rising cost of care, if nothing is done, spending on Medicare and Medicaid will double from $720 billion in 2009 to $1.4 trillion in 2019. By 2017, the fund that pays for Medicare and Medicaid will be broke, he warned.

"As the bill stands now, it does not take the kind of bold, aggressive actions to help contain the cost curve," Space's release states.

When hospitals join a provider network, negotiations take place to reconcile what providers wish to be paid for services and what insurance companies are willing to pay. Under Medicare, the government sets those reimbursement rates without negotiation and health-care providers typically lose money, Space said. Under the current proposal, hospitals that treat patients covered under the public option would have their reimbursement rates set at the current Medicare rates, which would have hospitals and doctors running the risk of losing money and going out of business, the congressman continued.

Space said he wants to see changes that would either increase the reimbursement rate to a more reasonable level or allow health-care providers to negotiate with the public option as is done with private insurance companies.

Finally, Space said, it is a major imposition on small businesses to require they either provide health insurance or provide a stipend for employees to purchase insurance. Currently the proposed legislation would exempt businesses that pay less than $250,000 a year in total payroll, Space said. He called this far too low. The congressman said he believes the exemption needs to be expanded.

The National Republic Congressional Committee has called the Blue Dog Democrats' meeting with Obama an effort by Democratic Party bosses to get them back in line.

"As Zack Space gets his wrist slapped by his party bosses for stepping out of line, it's clear who's calling the shots in Washington," said NRCC spokesperson Ken Spain. "Ohio families likely thought it was too good to be true when they heard that Space might actually side with them instead of [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi as Democrats attempt to drive up health-care costs. Unfortunately for them, they were right."



ANOTHER BLUE DOG DEMOCRAT, Rep. Wilson sent a letter to leaders urging them to strongly consider the issues affecting rural Americans. Wilson said he strongly believes that rural areas deserve a better partner in the federal government when it comes to health care. Wilson doesn't sit on the committee that includes the Democrats who met with Obama.

"This can be achieved through greater accessibility for a vulnerable population; through fair reimbursement practices for our valued physicians; appropriate incentives, including debt relief and increased payments, for workforce retention and recruitment; and through appropriate consideration of small business owners who struggle to afford adequate coverage," Wilson wrote.

Wilson said in his letter that the rural uninsured rate is 23 percent compared to 19 percent in urban areas. He said small businesses struggle to insure employees, as 69 percent of the uninsured in rural America work at small companies.

"The confluence of these factors leaves rural residents in greater need of health reform," Wilson wrote, "because they have suffered for years from the trouble of inaccessible comprehensive private health coverage."