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U.S. Rep. Latham: Introduces health care reform legislation
6/29/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Fred Love 202-225-5476 fred.love@mail.house.gov

LATHAM INTRODUCES HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION

BILL WOULD ENHANCE CARE FOR SENIORS, VETERANS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES AND RURAL CITIZENS

WASHINGTON, DC – Iowa Congressman Tom Latham has introduced legislation that would eliminate disparities in health care access for rural citizens and make quality health care more convenient and affordable for small business owners and their employees, seniors, veterans and members of the National Guard.

The “Health Care Security for All Americans Act of 2009” seeks to enhance health care access for a wide range of Americans under new policies with broad bipartisan support as a starting point for health care reform. The legislation also would update physician payment practices to provide a more equitable system for doctors in rural states.

“Health care has reached a point of crisis in this country,” Congressman Latham said. “Some in Washington have proposed a government takeover of health care that would cost taxpayers billions of dollars and separate patients from their doctors. My legislation proves that we can expand access to health care through common-sense reforms without breaking the federal budget.”

The bill, HR 3067, addresses the difficulty of accessing health care in rural Iowa, especially for seniors, by changing Medicare policies to level the playing field for rural hospitals and physicians. The bill also makes needed adjustments to expand medical options for veterans and to strengthen the ability of small business owners to negotiate for more affordable health insurance options for employees.

The Health Care Security for All Americans Act includes the following provisions:

-- Sets a permanent floor for Medicare payments to eliminate the geographic disparity for doctors in Iowa and other rural states.

-- Increases payments to rural hospitals.

-- Provides coverage for annual Medicare preventative physicals for seniors. Current policy covers only the initial physical within the first six months of enrolling in Medicare.

-- Allows small businesses to pool together across state lines to negotiate for more affordable health insurance benefits with private providers, a provision that would allow the federal government to save $1.4 billion in Medicaid payments to employees who would be able to afford private coverage under Latham’s proposal.

-- Allows all individuals to fully deduct the cost of their health insurance premiums from their taxes, regardless of whether coverage is through an employer.

-- Allows self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income.

-- Allows full access to TRICARE dental and medical coverage for Guard and Reserve members for up to a full year before deployment. Current law allows coverage beginning 90 days before a deployment.

The legislation also contains provisions that Congressman Latham has introduced as stand-alone bills in recent months. One would combat the growing nationwide nursing shortage by creating a federal loan repayment program for nurses who seek advanced degrees to become instructors at nursing schools. An increase in nursing instructors would allow the schools to raise their graduation rates and produce more registered nurses.

Another provision introduced as stand-alone legislation would grant veterans the choice of using their VA health care benefits at local hospitals and medical facilities rather than having to travel to the nearest VA facility, which is often an entire day’s journey in rural areas.

“Every American has a right to affordable, timely and high-quality health care,” Congressman Latham said. “That includes the elderly, our veterans and soldiers, our small business owners and employees and our rural citizens. For too long, they have struggled with inadequate access and coverage, and it’s time to fix that. My legislation contains a number of common-sense proposals that Congress can enact immediately to expand health care accessibility and bring down costs. This is the approach to health care that the American people are demanding.”

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