LA Senator David Vitter on Health Care/Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana Senator David Vitter On Health Care/Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana's Senator David Vitter (to label him "Republican" might be something of an understatement and/or a misnomer, depending on who you ask) is back in the news today regarding what seems to be a never-ending Washington prostitution ring scandal, but we're more interested in his stance on the state of health care in Louisiana. So we wrote to Senator Vitter about our support for reforms that would mean affordable health insurance for all Louisianans, and received in response his form letter on the issue (the same letter you would likely receive if you wrote to him on the issue). Senator Vitter's form response to the health care issue reads as follows (the only edit we made was to replace the name with an initial in the first line):

Dear Mrs. M.,             Thank you for contacting me in favor of a public health insurance plan.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.              I understand many Americans are uninsured or underinsured, causing many individuals and families to not receive the proper care they need to stay healthy.  I am committed to finding ways to provide quality and affordable health insurance to all Americans, and I believe we can reform health care by allowing reimportation of safe, cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and by speeding the approval of generic drugs.  Also, I believe we should offer small businesses the ability to pool together, which would provide the same negotiating advantage as corporations, to get access to affordable health care for their employees.  And, providing refundable tax credits would make health care more affordable and accessible by empowering individuals and families with more buying power to pick the health care plan that best fits their needs.              I also want health care reform, but I am concerned that the America's Affordable Health Choices Act would actually limit choices, diminish quality, and do nothing to control costs.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projected that this plan would cost more than $1 trillion over the next ten years and would still leave 34 million people uninsured.  Other independent studies show that 118 million Americans or 60 percent would lose their current coverage to be pushed on to the public plan.  I am concerned that the creation of a public plan would hinder Americans' access to the care they need and could result in long waiting lines for important surgeries and procedures.  I will continue working to make health care more affordable and accessible for Louisiana families as the Senate considers health care reform. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this important issue.  Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future about other issues important to you.

Sincerely, Senator David Vitter United States Senator

What we can discern from this letter:

1. Senator Vitter is aware that millions of Americans (and therefore presumably Louisianans) are currently uninsured or underinsured.
2. Senator Vitter supports the "reimportation" of prescription drugs from Canada. Apparently, he does not feel that the same drugs should simply be made more affordable to Americans in the first place. Why might this be? Perhaps we should consider that Vitter's top campaign contributors are from the "Health Industry" - and who has the money in the the health industry? Ah, that would be the insurance companies...followed closely by the pharmaceutical companies.
3. Senator Vitter believes that small companies should be able to pool together to seek insurance - which they already can. 
4. Senator Vitter wants to "solve" the problem of lack of insurance for millions of Americans by suggesting some kind of tax refund (although he doesn't seem want to suggest to anyone who hasn't written to him supporting health insurance reform). What's the biggest tax refund you have ever received? Would it come anywhere near paying for the cost of quality health insurance? We didn't think so.
   
5. Senator Vitter believes that the President's plan for health care reform is too expensive. So apparently, the senator has higher priorities for your tax dollars than to help you pay for your own health insurance. He would rather that money go... where? Oh, right. To his top campaign contributors - the health insurance industry.
6. Senator Vitter believes "independent" studies which seem to say that the plan would still leave millions without insurance, though how that is possible with a public option open to everyone, he doesn't explain. Nor does he provide you with a reference for these "studies," so I guess he just assumes that you wouldn't understand them anyway. We should just take his (and the insurance companies') word on it.
   
7. Senator Vitter seems to be under the impression that providing a public insurance option, affordable and open to anyone, would somehow cause a trend of people who are currently insured to lose their insurance, although he doesn't explain how or why this would be the case. In fact, he appears to be behind the times on this one, since Louisiana residents are already losing their health insurance at a faster rate than residents of any other state.

Health Statistics ; % Point Change in Uninsured (most recent) by state

VIEW DATA:  Totals	Definition     Source      Printable version
Bar Graph Map

Showing latest available data.

Rank   States  Amount  # 1   Delaware: 5.9   # 2   Mississippi: 5   # 3   Pennsylvania: 4.1   # 4   Rhode Island: 3.4   # 5   Tennessee: 3   # 6   New Jersey: 2.6   = 7   Utah: 2.1   = 7   Connecticut: 2.1   # 9   Missouri: 1.6   # 10   Michigan: 1.5   # 11   Vermont: 1.3   # 12   Wisconsin: 1.2   = 13   Minnesota: 1.1   = 13   Illinois: 1.1   = 13   Georgia: 1.1   # 16   North Carolina: 0.6   = 17   New Hampshire: 0.5   = 17   Arizona: 0.5   = 19   Colorado: 0.4   = 19   Oklahoma: 0.4   # 21   Nevada: 0.3   # 22   Montana: 0.2   # 23   North Dakota: -0.1   # 24   Massachusetts: -0.5   # 25   Maryland: -0.6   # 26   Iowa: -0.7   # 27   South Carolina: -0.8   # 28   Kentucky: -0.9   # 29   Oregon: -1.1   # 30   South Dakota: -1.2   # 31   Nebraska: -1.3   # 32   Texas: -1.4   # 33   Alabama: -2.1   # 34   Virginia: -2.2   = 35   Indiana: -2.3   = 35   Florida: -2.3   = 37   California: -2.4   = 37   District of Columbia: -2.4   # 39   New York: -2.5   = 40   Hawaii: -2.8   = 40   Ohio: -2.8   # 42   Maine: -3   # 43   West Virginia: -3.1   # 44   Washington: -3.3   # 45   Wyoming: -3.4   = 46   Kansas: -3.8   = 46   New Mexico: -3.8   # 48   Arkansas: -3.9   # 49   Alaska: -4.8   # 50   Idaho: -4.9   # 51   Louisiana: -7.2   Weighted average: -0.6

To summarize: Senator Vitter, who is self-admittedly perhaps not the foremost authority on "family values," knows that millions of us are uninsured. He knows that we cannot afford our prescription medications. But his campaign benefited more from the contributions of insurance and pharmaceutical companies than from any other industry. So, perhaps not coincidentally, he does not support health care reform as it is currently being debated, nor does he offer any more likely option. Senator Vitter would like, in short, to do absolutely nothing to help your family access affordable, quality medical care. He told us so himself.

Would you like to say something to Senator Vitter? Let your views be known (and let us know what he says)!  You can contact him via the internet, or through any of his offices:

Senator David Vitter:

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  Washington, D.C. Office

  516 Hart Senate Office Building
  Washington, DC 20510
  Main: (202) 224-4623
  Fax: (202) 228-5061
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Central Louisiana Office

  2230 S. MacArthur Dr., Suite 4
  Alexandria, LA 71301
  Main: (318) 448-0169
  Fax: (318) 448-0189
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Northeast Louisiana Office

  1217 N. 19th St.
  Monroe, LA 71201
  Main: (318) 325-8120
  Fax: (318) 325-9165
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Northwest Louisiana Office

  920 Pierremont Road, Suite 113
  Shreveport, LA 71106
  Main: (318) 861-0437
  Fax: (318) 861-4865
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Southeast Louisiana Office

  2800 Veterans Blvd., Suite 201
  Metairie, LA 70002
  Main: (504) 589-2753
  Fax: (504) 589-2607
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Southwest Louisiana Office

  3221 Ryan St., Suite E
  Lake Charles, LA 70601
  Main: (337) 436-0453
  Fax: (337) 436-3163
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Acadiana Office

  800 Lafayette St.
  Suite 1200
  Lafayette, LA 70501
  Main: 337-262-6898
  Fax: 337-262-6373
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Baton Rouge Office

  858 Convention St.
  Baton Rouge, LA 70802
  Main: 225-383-0331
  Fax: 225-383-0952
  
  
  
  
  

Health Care Reform = Insurance Reform; The Difference Between Public/Private, and Profit/Non-Profit

Health Care Reform = Insurance Reform; 

The Difference Between Public/Private and Profit/Non-Profit

You may love your doctor, but do you love your insurance company?

Critics of "health care reform" like to film commercials showing home town doctors in white coats talking about how reform would be a problem for you. This is because critics would like you to associate them with your doctor's care. But the truth is that the reform issues that are currently being debated in congress focus on your insurance company's performance, not your doctor's care.

Why Private, Profit-Making Insurance Companies Will Never Put Your Health First:

Look at it this way. There is already someone between you and your doctor, whether those commercials show it or not. If you currently have health insurance, that someone is an insurance company executive, whose primary purpose is to make a profit off of your health care needs. As long as you are in good health, this is no problem for them. They charge a premium for covering you, because statistically it's a good risk for them...as long as you stay healthy. Of course, if your health should deteriorate for any reason, they'll re-think what they charge you and what they'll pay for - if they continue to cover you at all. And they'll do this for one simple reason; not because they're awful people, or they have no conscience, but because this is their job. As long as health care is only run as a for-profit industry, profits will always be the bottom line for insurance companies, even if it is at the expense of you or your family's health. 

Why Non-Profit Insurance Companies Aren't the Answer:

Some companies, such as Kaiser Permanenete,  have attempted to resolve this by creating non-profit insurance. Although the idea seemed solid, their track record in terms of improving quality of care has been poor. As someone who teaches classes in non-profit management, let me explain why this has been the case:

The label "non-profit" is often misunderstood. Non-profit status, also called 501(c)3 designation, is a designation that an agency makes primarily for tax reasons. The main difference between a non-profit and a for-profit corporation, as far as their interaction with the public, is that donations made to a non-profit can be tax-deductible. This is because any agency profits are required to be put back into the agency, rather than go to shareholders. For this reason, many charities choose to utilize the 501(c)3 status.

However, non-profit status does NOT necessarily mean that the agency is stable, well-funded, or provides any better quality service than a for-profit agency. Indeed, most non-profits are in a constant struggle to find and maintain funding. Non-profit insurance companies have a bit of a leg up, because they will charge you premiums and co-pays just like any for-profit insurer will. This helps them to maintain funding. But it does not guarantee that money will go into your care. Executives for large non-profit agencies, especially insurance agencies, can make just as outrageous salaries, bonuses, etc. as any other executive. That money is simply not considered to be a profit for the company. And running a non-profit insurance company is just as expensive as running a for-profit insurance company, so they still have to find a way to solicit business, pay for services, pay for salaries, etc. on top of the cost of doing business. The result has been that non-profit insurers have no better record of quality or consistency of care than any other insurance company.

How A Public Option Would Be Different:

A "public option," such as the one in President Obama's health care plan, means just that - it is an option that would belong entirely to the public. Essentially, the public - you and I - would replace the shareholders that  private agency would have. This means that anyone who wants to utilize the public option would be allowed to do so - because we, the public, are the providers. We are the insurers. Better yet, all of us can band together and work as one to bring the costs of health care down. This is how every insurer works - they use the collective power of all of their clients to bargain with health care vendors for better prices on materials, prescription medications, etc.

Imagine the bargaining power that we could wield as the entire public of the United States of America. The more people who select the plan, the better our bargaining power would be. And right now, with approximately 50 million people uninsured in the U.S., we already have a large bargaining base to begin with.

We could be larger than any insurance company could imagine. That's why insurance companies don't want this bill to pass. They simply don't know how to compete with us, if we all work together. They would have to improve their own performance and payment options to maintain competitiveness.

Of course, there will always be skeptics. Under the current plan, no one would have to leave his or her insurance company if they choose not to. Not everyone will sign up for the public option, so it is unlikely that other insurance companies would be driven out of business. More likely, they would have to bring down the cost of executive salaries, reduce their own profits, and provide better, more specialized care to maintain competitiveness...just like any other industry. At least, that's what has already happened in most other developed nations - all of which have some form of regulation on health insurance. But don't believe me. Go find yourself someone who is actually from one of these countries (don't rely on second-hand spin from ultra-conservative Americans), and ask if they would switch for the insurance system we have now. You might be surprised how fast they say "Not a chance."

How Can the Public Own An Insurance Organization?

We can be our own insurers, just the same as we own other businesses which are important to the stabilization of our nation's welfare. We own the postal service. We own interstate highways. We own libraries. Some are great, some need help. But everything the state (public) owns, it owns for one reason - we believe as a nation that it is too important to be left up to a few private companies.

And when it comes right down to it, what could be more important than your and your family's access to affordable health care, prescriptions, and medicine?

Protect Insurance Companies! (video spoof)

Thank you to FunnyOrDie.com for taking up the cause, and producing this video spoof of a PSA to protect the insurance companies against the threat of regulated health insurance!

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Presenters: Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Thomas Lennon, Donald Faison Linda Cardellini, Masi Oka, Ben Garant, Jordana Spiro, Drew Antzis, and Chad Carter

Health Care: How Louisiana Stacks Up

Health Care: How Louisiana Stacks Up

Health Statistics > Health Index (most recent) by state

VIEW DATA:    Totals	Definition     Source      Printable version
Bar Graph     Map     Correlations

Showing latest available data.

Rank   States  Amount  # 1   Vermont: 22.67  # 2   New Hampshire: 21.4  # 3   Massachusetts: 18.69  # 4   Minnesota: 16.3  # 5   Maine: 16.06  # 6   Iowa: 14.57  # 7   Utah: 14.19  # 8   Hawaii: 13.71  # 9   Nebraska: 12.82  # 10   Connecticut: 12.63  # 11   North Dakota: 11.47  # 12   Rhode Island: 10.51  # 13   Washington: 9.87  # 14   Wisconsin: 8.07  # 15   Kansas: 7.85  # 16   New Jersey: 7.71  # 17   Virginia: 6.74  # 18   California: 6.51  # 19   Oregon: 5.92  # 20   Idaho: 5.42  # 21   Pennsylvania: 5.33  # 22   South Dakota: 5.29  # 23   Michigan: 3.73  # 24   Indiana: 3.33  # 25   Montana: 3.19  # 26   Ohio: 3.12  # 27   Colorado: 1.61  # 28   West Virginia: 1.23  # 29   Maryland: 0.77  # 30   Wyoming: -0.19  # 31   New York: -0.64  # 32   Kentucky: -0.86  # 33   North Carolina: -1.03  # 34   Illinois: -1.17  # 35   Delaware: -1.49  # 36   Missouri: -2.89  # 37   Alaska: -4.98  # 38   Tennessee: -5  # 39   Arizona: -5.78  # 40   Arkansas: -5.93  # 41   Alabama: -9.97  # 42   Georgia: -10  # 43   South Carolina: -10.63  # 44   Florida: -11.21  # 45   Texas: -11.85  # 46   Oklahoma: -12.07  # 47   Nevada: -13.37  # 48   New Mexico: -17.69  # 49   Mississippi: -18.43  # 50   Louisiana: -20.95  Weighted average: 2.1

Politics in America: what could be more controversial, or more important to us as American citizens? Despite the cynicism that permeates the discussion of politics and voting in our nation, it has been my experience that most people have a basic understanding of the democratic process (at least as a theoretical ideal) and that most people in the U.S. want to vote. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 70% of residents who were eligible registered to vote in the 2004 election, and over 88% of those registered actually showed up at the polls to vote. Americans do care about social and political issues, and they do want to make their views known. But sometimes we can become paralyzed by confusion about the issues being debated, or lack of understanding about the difference between politicians or their views. After all, not everyone can spend hours researching facts and figures before every election. So we want to share what we think is some of the most significant information Louisianans should know about the health care debate - information that has affected the way we view the heath insurance controversy as both Americans, and as proud Louisianans.

1. Louisiana ranks lowest in the nation in a comparison of health factors among all 50 states. The results of a study published by United Health Foundation included factors such as insurance coverage, number of children living below the poverty rate, percent of preventable hospitalizations, infant mortality rates, and overall death rates - all of which were noted as specific challenges to the future of Louisiana's health care. 
2. Louisiana ranks last in the nation in terms of people losing health coverage. In a study conducted from 2000-2004, more Louisianans lost their health insurance coverage than residents of any other state.  Over 7% of residents who previously had health insurance lost it in the course of the study. This is several times greater than the average loss among other states, which was slightly higher than half of one percent.
   
3. Roughly 20% of residents in Louisiana are already completely uninsured. This translates to more than 860,000 people, all members of our own communities. And although the majority of these uninsured residents live below the poverty level, at least 30% of these uninsured residents actually bring in at least twice the amount of income designated as the federal poverty level. This means that lack of insurance is not just a problem among our impoverished communities - it is also a problem in our middle-income, "average" families. These are families in which one or both parents work, but still cannot afford health insurance coverage.
   

The above studies lead to one worrying and undeniable conclusion: that Louisianans have objectively some of the worst health outcomes in the nation. Perhaps if we were all residents of some other state, we could afford to let the status quo remain as is.... But as Louisianans, we have more reason than anyone to push for health care and insurance coverage reform!

Who Are We? An Introduction to Our Work on Health Care Reform for Louisianans

Louisiana and the Health Care/Insurance Reform Controversy:

How We Can Help

The current controversy about "health care reform" seems to be everywhere these days. Maybe you have heard people speaking about it on local or national newscasts. Perhaps you have heard politicians speaking about it on television. Or you may have read about it in the papers, or even seen demonstrators for both sides of the issue. And if you watch TV, you can't help but see dueling commercials from one political action groups or another. But what is this controversy really all about? How do the positions of the various political parties really differ? And what does it mean for you, as a resident of Louisiana? In short, why should you care about this reform?

If you have asked yourself any of these questions, you are not alone. Policy controversies can be confusing, and it doesn't help to have politicians on either side of the aisle throwing out accusations or spreading misinformation based primarily on what they think their constituents want to hear. So where do you turn for information that you can trust? We created this site to help you answer these important questions. We want to share with you our understanding of the controversy, the positions of differing political parties (including your Louisiana senators and representatives) and what you can do to make the best decisions for your family.

How can we help you? We created HealthForLouisiana.blogspot.com to help Louisiana residents like you to find answers to the questions that surround the health care controversy. Our goal is to help you understand what the real issues surrounding the health care reform controversy are most likely to be, so that you can make the best decisions for the health of your family. Our site is in no way affiliated with any political action group - meaning that we're not involved with any of those commercial campaigns, and we don't have any financial stake in your vote. We are just a family, residents of Louisiana, with professional backgrounds in the social policy and reform processes. We know how to break apart, analyze, and follow a government policy, and how to advocate professionally for policies in which we believe strongly. Collectively, we hold graduate degrees in Social Work and Social Policy and in Law. We live and work in Louisiana, and we stay as informed as possible about policy matters. But we also know that not everyone has the luxury of doing the same. So we decided to create this site for you, to share what we have learned, and to help you consider the multiple complexities of local and federal policies surrounding the health care controversy.

Why do we care about this issue? The reason is simple. We feel strongly that the issue of "health care reform" is the most important issue facing our family, our community, our state, and our nation today. Over the next few weeks, we will explain why we feel the issue is so important. What you need to know right now is that we have been both personally and professionally involved in many government policies throughout our adult lives and careers, and while our community faces many important issues today, including "rebirth" after disastrous hurricanes, widespread poverty, joblessness, housing problems, and more...it has been our experience that health care and health insurance reform are in many ways the most pressing of issues affecting our entire community. Without a strong health care policy, our state simply cannot move forward on finding lasting, effective solutions to the multitude of other issues we face today.

Why should you care about this issue? Again, the reason is simple. How much money do you pay to the state and federal government in the form of taxes? That money is meant to be your guarantee that your representatives will listen to you, and will advocate for your needs in the local and national government arenas. You pay their wages. You pay for their health insurance. So don't you have the right to be heard when it comes time for them to listen to what your family needs? And yet, how many of us really feel "heard" by our representatives? How many of us even know how to contact them? We want that number to become 100%, and we want to help you make that goal a reality. You deserve a voice in our legislature, no matter who you are. If you buy goods or services in Louisiana, you pay taxes here. If you have a steady job, you pay taxes here. If you live in Louisiana, you pay taxes here, and you have an opinion and a voice. We want to help you use it!

Do we have an opinion on the issue?  Of course we do. Anyone who tells you that they don't have an opinion on an issue for which they are advocating is trying to sell you something. 

Look, we don't want your money. We're not interested in donations or payoffs. We're not working for or with any politician, political action group, or political party. We have nothing to gain by our site beyond sharing our own voices. We feel that we have something important to say, something that you may or may not already know about, and we want you to hear us out. We welcome your questions, comments, and responses. We will gladly hear you out too, and share our replies. We feel that we have a strong position, but whether you agree with it or not, we think you will find some answers by reading our site. At the very least, we hope that we can motivate and encourage everyone who visits our site to become involved in the political process, and to realize that even one family, even one person, even one opinion, can make a difference.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.  ~ Margaret Mead

Contact Us

Contact Us

Do you have a personal experience with health insurance that you want to share?

Is there something you would like us to include on the site?

We'd love to help!

Email us at:  HealthForLouisiana@gmail.com