Letter from Ben Chandler

I received a response from Ben Chandler’s office regarding H.R. 676. The meat of the letter is below.

Providing health coverage for all Americans is perhaps the most pressing domestic public policy we currently face. While I share your concern that nearly 45 million Americans lack basic health insurance coverage and that number continues to grow, I am not convinced that a single-payer nation health care system modeled after the Systems in Canada and the United Kingdom is the best cure for American health care. By taking some relatively simple policy steps and continuing to encourage innovation in the health service sector. I believe that we can drastically reduce the number of Americans who lack basic health insurance.

That is why I have supported initiatives to expand health coverage to sectors of the population who are chronically uninsured – small business employees, low-income youth between the ages of 18-23, and early retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare. In addition, I have supported efforts to strengthen state children’s health insurance programs and to improve benefits under Medicare and Medicaid for traditional beneficiaries. Please rest assured that I will continue fighting to expand and improve health care coverage for all Americans.

My thoughts:
The goal should not be to reduce the number of Americans who lack basic health insurance; it should be to provide health insurance to all Americans.

Ben Chandler is, generally speaking, on the side of goodness on this issue.

From the Herald-Leader:

Democrats who won control of the U.S. House in November have voted to take tax dollars for health care away from the insurance industry and move them into, ta da, health care…..

Fearful of losing their government subsidies, Humana and the rest of the industry are turning up the heat on Congress. That, along with the anxiety that the transition could cause Kentuckians, made this a tough vote for Democratic Reps. John Yarmuth, who'll have to run for re-election in Louisville next year, and Ben Chandler.

What to do?

We all need to keep after Ben to do the right thing. We need to convince him that he needs to quit pulling out band-aids to fix a problem that needs major surgery.

Here is how to contact Ben.