Guest Blog by Rep. Ben Ray Luján: Fundamentals for Fixing a Broken Health Care System

This is a guest blog by Rep. Ben Ray Luján, who represents New Mexico's Third Congressional District.

Also be sure to check out audio of Peter St. Cyr's one-on-one interview with Rep. Lujan about health care reform at What's the Word. Great stuff. Rep. Lujan is really on top of this issue and prepared to go to the mat to make sure reform happens this year.

Too many New Mexicans who have coverage have gone without a necessary surgery or doctor’s visit because they can’t afford it. Often people wait too long before seeing a doctor, only to need more extensive treatment for problems that have worsened over time because they can’t afford the visit. And too many have suffered when their insurance companies refused to pay their medical bills even though they had coverage.

A few weeks ago I joined Families USA on a conference call to discuss some startling statistics that highlighted our nation’s need for health care reform. The statistics proved what many of us already know -- even families who have health care coverage are struggling to afford rising costs.

Since 2000, health care premiums have doubled, while wages have gone up by just 3 percent. Even families who have health insurance are suffering, and many of those are a job loss, illness or accident away from losing coverage altogether. Four hundred and seventy five thousand people in New Mexico under age 65 are a part of families that will spend more than 10 percent of their pre-tax family income on health care in 2009, and 74.3 percent of those families have health insurance.

We need to fix our broken system. Health care reform expected in this Congress will offer an opportunity to reform our broken system by making quality health care affordable and accessible to all.

In my visits with constituents throughout the district, I have met with families who have insurance and still have their claims denied. I talked to a mother who had to boil used catheters for her child because her insurance company did not cover the cost of new catheters. I have met with families who had their claims denied because insurance companies used loopholes or pre-existing conditions unrelated to their claim to deny coverage.

Guiding Principles. As the discussion about health care progresses in Congress, we’ll consider many proposals for reform. If we’re going to get the health care system we deserve, we should follow a few important principles.

· If you have a pre-existing condition, you should not be excluded from an affordable, quality program. If you lose your job, you shouldn’t lose your health care coverage.

· We should eliminate waste and redundancy in the health care system. We’ve already taken steps toward eliminating inefficiency by including funding to make medical records electronic. This will help reduce errors and ultimately reduce costs.

· I also believe that, no matter what, you should have a choice of who your doctor is.

· The President has made it clear that any health care plan must allow Americans to keep their plan if they like it. I agree with this statement, but I also believe that we should make health care options available to all Americans.

Public Insurance Option. We can achieve these goals by including a public health insurance option in health care reform. With a public health insurance option, we’ll give everyone a choice of participating in a quality, affordable health care program that offers competition, reduces health care costs, and meets the varied needs of American families.

In the coming weeks, we’re going to hear many proposals for the future of health care -- but we have to keep in mind that our system is broken and we need reform that challenges the status quo. Quality health care coverage for all should be more than a right -- it should be a promise that we make to each other, for a healthier and better future for our families, communities, and nation.

This is a guest blog by U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.