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As Congress considers health care reform, Mike wants to hear from you. Health care reform materials will be posted below as they become available.
With all of the information out there about health insurance reform, it's tough to know who to trust. The following websites can help you separate fact from fiction:
Mike has joined with his colleagues to advocate on behalf of a number of important health care priorities and principles. Below, you will find the full text of letters that Mike has signed.
My Vote on Health Care Reform
By Representative Mike Michaud November 9, 2009 On November 7th, after hundreds of meetings, hours of careful consideration, and lots of soul searching, I decided to lend my support to the historic opportunity that confronted us. My vote in favor of the House health care reform bill does not represent an endorsement of every provision in it. Despite remaining concerns, I voted to move the process forward to allow the bill to be improved. Voting against it would have stopped any chance at reform. And being at the table will more effectively advance the interests of the people of Maine than by standing on the sidelines. Three House committees completed their work and blended those proposals into the bill that we considered. I read and carefully studied all 1,990 pages of the bill and the accompanying amendments, which were online and available for all to review prior to the vote. As I have said before, this bill is not perfect. Since August, I have raised several concerns over this legislation. More specifically, I remain concerned about parts of the bill that cut Medicare and Medicaid. These cuts would unfairly impact Maine due to our unique situation as having one of the most efficient health care systems in the country, while receiving some of the lowest reimbursement rates for services provided. These concerns were raised by many in Maine, and I have made sure that they have been heard by the highest levels of government in our nation. In fact, I have repeatedly discussed my concerns with the White House and directly with the President. I am pleased that he understood my concerns as they relate to Maine and pledged to work with me to address them in a meaningful way within the context of this bill as it moves forward. I will also redouble my efforts with Senator Snowe to ensure that rural access to health care is protected and strengthened in the State of Maine as both the House and Senate move forward toward a final bill. Let me be clear. My vote on the House bill does not guarantee where I will ultimately come down on the future conference report. But this work is too important to fail, and I could not in good conscience let the perfect be the enemy of the possible. To those in Maine who have legitimate concerns over the direction of reform – please know that I have heard them and that I will continue to fight to strengthen this legislation. But we cannot allow unfounded fear of death panels and government takeovers of health care derail this important opportunity. These claims were always untrue, and they are untrue today. Moving forward, we must come together and get the best possible bill passed so that Mainers not only have more affordable coverage – but coverage that meets their needs. I am pleased that the House bill did accomplish a number of important things that I strongly support. Under the bill, insurers would be prohibited from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage just because a person becomes sick. The bill is fully paid for and would not add to our already unsustainable debt. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would reduce the deficit by $104 billion over the next 10 years. The bill would provide quality, affordable health care to those that currently don’t have it and strengthen protections and options for those that do. The bill would help seniors by eliminating Medicare co-pays for preventative care, including cancer screenings. It would also reduce expenses for prescription medications by closing Medicare’s “donut hole.” Each year, 16,800 seniors in the Maine hit the donut hole and are forced to pay their full drug costs, despite having Part D drug coverage. Being able to get quality health care should never be a question for any American. The bill we passed today is a good step forward, and it is endorsed by the AARP and the American Medical Association. And while it contains some very good policies, it still must be amended and improved to get my vote again before it becomes law. A lot more work lies ahead. I look forward to continuing to work to improve the bill so that we can pass meaningful reform that is good for Maine.
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