The East Tennessee Congressional delegation reacts to the House health insurance reform bill. Allow me to retort...

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Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN1):

This bill taxes job creators and the middle class at a time we can least afford it. This bill creates a government-run health system which will result in a national version of TennCare, which yields the result of millions of Americans losing their current coverage. [T]his bill will lead to decreased access to care, decreased quality of care, and increased cost to beneficiaries.

In fact, the bill will increase access to health care, particularly for the 40+ million uninsured and for those who cannot obtain health insurance from their employer or those who are being excluded because of preexisting conditions. It also provides for standardized minimum benefits and performance and outcome based incentives to improve the quality of care. It also limits the amount of private insurance premiums that can be spent on overhead and profit and executive bonuses, making more available for actual health care, and caps out of pocket expenses to prevent "medical bankruptcy." Along with the competitive public option, negotiated rates for services and pharmaceuticals, and other cost saving and control measures, the bill is actually intended to reduce the cost to beneficiaries.

As for taxing job creators, the bill in fact provides tax credits for employers who provide health insurance. Employers who do not provide insurance will have the option of paying 8% into the exchange to subsidize premiums for the uninsured poor. So each employer can go out in the open market (which includes the exchange), look at the numbers, and choose the most cost effective way to provide insurance for their employees, and get tax credits if they choose to provide it directly.

As for taxing the middle class, Rep. Roe apparently considers couples making more than $1,000,000 annually "middle class." They would be subject to a surcharge (similar to the Medicare payroll tax we all pay already) for a portion of their income over $1,000,000 ($500,000 for individuals).

The only new "government-run health system" being proposed is the public option, which is nothing like TennCare (Medicaid) and instead is fully funded by premiums, just like private insurance (minus profits and executive bonuses) and is in fact about the only "free market" provision in a bill that provides for many choices. What Rep. Roe apparently means by "government-run" is "regulated."

Rep. John Duncan (R-TN2):

...will make health care even more expensive and bureaucratic in the years ahead. With a national debt of $12 trillion and a deficit just this year of a staggering $1.4 trillion, we simply cannot afford it.

As noted above, the bill aims to make health care more affordable. (The title of the legislation is "The Affordable Health Care for America Act.") Further, the CBO estimates that the bill will actually reduce the deficit by at least $30 billion over 10 years. Rep. Duncan either opposes deficit reduction or hasn't read the bill. As for making health care "more bureaucratic," what Rep. Duncan apparently means is "regulated."

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN3):

...the 1,990-page bill released today actually increases the cost of health insurance. It raises taxes on middle class families, cuts Medicare benefits for seniors and imposes an additional tax burden on small businesses, among other things, on the way to a government takeover of health care.

The bill actually expands Medicare Part D benefits to more seniors, eliminates the "donut hole," and reduces premiums, expands Part B low-income subsidies, eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for preventive care, and aims to make sure that providers are fairly compensated. As for the other remarks in his statement, every one of them is wrong as noted above. And similar to his colleagues, by "government takeover" Rep. Wamp really means "regulation."

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN):

...raises the cost of premiums, cuts Medicare, and raises taxes. The new government insurance plan will cause millions to lose their employer-based insurance and become part of the government-run option.

By law, the "government-run option" will not be available to individuals covered by an employer provided insurance plan. Further, only the smallest of small business will be eligible for the option to provide insurance through the exchange at first. It will be phased in for more employers over several years, but as written even this is currently limited to small businesses with less than 100 employees. It's likely (I don't have the statistics) that most of these employers are not providing insurance anyway. And as noted previously, the "government-run option" (aka public option) is the most competitive, free market component of this bill because it is completely funded by premiums just like private insurance (minus profits and executive bonuses). As for his other remarks, they are all wrong as noted above.

It's obvious that Republicans are desperate and have nothing left except disinformation in their fight to prevent you from getting affordable, portable, and renewable health insurance with more choices and options. They offer no solutions other than some tax credits and "tort reform" (which is less than 1% of medical costs). Democrats working on this bill have been open and transparent about what it does and what it will cost. And most of that cost relates to covering the uninsured, so what Republicans and other opponents are really saying is they don't care about the 40+ million uninsured and will do everything in their power to protect the status quo run by those who fill their campaign coffers. Republicans and others who oppose these reforms should either bring serious, reality-based alternative solutions or shut up and get out of the way.

And another thing. These or similar remarks were published in today's Knoxville News Sentinel unchallenged and without any qualification, and with no opposing viewpoint or rebuttal. It's no wonder the people of East Tennessee keep electing people like this to Congress.

PREVIIOUSLY: House health care bill 2.0