[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 25, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO RITUPARNA MUKHERJEE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 25, 2015

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Rituparna Mukherjee attends Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. 
The essay topic is: in your opinion, what role should government play 
in our lives?

       The way health care is provided, paid for, and measured in 
     the United States is rapidly changing. That will continue to 
     happen as the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, 
     comes into full effect. Prior to health care reform, a health 
     insurance company could charge more, deny coverage or exclude 
     condition-specific benefits if you had a life-threatening or 
     chronic health condition. The ACA has changed most of that 
     through changes in health insurance coverage however; the 
     Affordable Care Act isn't simply about making insurance more 
     widely available. It's also about re-engineering the health 
     care industry, so that it operates more efficiently--
     providing treatment that is higher quality, less expensive, 
     or both. The idea, as Sarah Kliff explains in the Washington 
     Post, is to move from a system that rewards volume (i.e., the 
     number of procedures performed) to a system that rewards 
     value (i.e., the quality of care provided).
       Beginning in 2014, no insurer can charge you more or deny 
     you coverage based on your current health or a pre-existing 
     condition. While an estimated 220,000 Americans who could 
     afford it obtained alternate coverage, roughly 25 million 
     with pre-existing conditions were uninsured. Not only that, 
     the out-of-pocket expense kept both insured and uninsured. 
     Americans away from preventive care, to the detriment of 
     public health. Now, all health plans must offer a wide array 
     of in-network preventive services and treatments for adults 
     and children, with no out-of-pocket costs such as co pays, 
     coinsurance or need to meet a deductible. Both of the 
     aforementioned policies are conducive to lower healthcare 
     costs and more importantly, awareness for preventive 
     measures.
       In accordance with the changes mentioned before, children 
     under the age of 26 are now allowed to still be under their 
     parents' healthcare plan. This means that there are a larger 
     number of young adults insured as they enter the workforce. 
     The aforementioned policy is middle- and upper-class 
     beneficial because it implies that there are parents of adult 
     children that are insured. Already more than two million 
     young adults have gotten health insurance through their 
     parents' policies.
       While debate continues on both the success and the failure 
     of managed care, one cannot deny the increased emphasis on 
     cost containment. The results of managed care and the 
     continuing evolution of the American health care system are 
     both quantitative and qualitative. They range from a 
     reduction in hospital admissions and stays to an increase in 
     ambulatory care, out-patient surgeries, and home care; from 
     an emphasis on prevention and better decisions by consumers 
     about health-related behaviors to the sometimes limited 
     choices by consumers in selecting practitioners and in 
     utilizing benefits; from increasing limitations in coverage 
     with higher deductibles and co-pays to the reality of a still 
     significant portion of the population among the 
     disenfranchised or uninsured.
       While the Affordable Care Act has its positives and its 
     negatives, as do most policies, its benefits have only just 
     begun to be explored. Same goes for the negatives. We have to 
     allow a few years to pass before we can pass judgment on this 
     drastic change.

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