[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 22]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 30680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   THE HEALTH CARE REALITY CHECK ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 8, 2009

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to introduce the 
Health Care Reality Check Act of 2009.
  It has become clear that some of my colleagues in Congress lack 
proper perspective on the urgency of health reform because, ironically, 
as Members of Congress we enjoy some of the best health security in the 
world through our government-administered health care:
  All Members of Congress are eligible--and most participate in--the 
Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, which provides all Federal 
employees with a Government-negotiated insurance exchange that is 
subsidized by their employer: the Federal Government;
  Almost 150 Members of Congress qualify for Medicare, a single-payer 
Government insurance plan;
  The 121 Senators and Representatives who served in our Armed Forces 
are eligible for the ``socialized'' health care we provide for all 
veterans; and
  Members who aren't veterans can avail themselves to a similar 
``socialized'' program-- the Attending Physician in the U.S. Capitol, 
for an annual fee of around $500.
  These Government-run health programs have successfully provided 
countless Senators and Representatives with life-saving medical 
treatments, but as we all know, most Americans don't have this kind of 
protection.
  Members of Congress should not have access to taxpayer-funded 
healthcare when they are actively denying these very people quality 
care of their own.
  Congress needs a reality check.
  In 2007, before the economy collapsed, 42 percent of all adult 
Americans under 65 were either uninsured or underinsured. Our dire 
unemployment rates and escalating health care costs have only made this 
situation worse. Today half of all American families delay seeking 
medical treatment because they have such a tenuous health insurance 
situation. Many of my colleagues do not fully appreciate the plight of 
50 percent of our population, but we can help them understand.
  Until health reform is enacted, Members of Congress should get to 
experience the tender mercies of our fragmented, complex, and 
exploitative health care system. My Health Care Reality Check Act 
terminates all government-administered health benefits for Members of 
Congress until comprehensive health reform is signed into law: no more 
Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, no Medicare, no VA, no 
attending physician in the Capitol.
  Instead, Senators and Representatives may self-insure or they can 
rely on a spouse's company having employer-provided insurance, thus 
tying them--like millions of Americans--to the employment of a family 
member. Some will need to buy health insurance on the private market, 
exposing them to legal discrimination based on age and gender.
  By personally dealing with rescissions, pre-existing condition 
exclusions, the fine-print of insurance contracts and the gaps in 
coverage from weak consumer protections maybe my colleagues can better 
grasp the urgency of our health care crisis.
  If our own health security were linked to the success of health 
reform for all Americans, we will have a bill enacted within weeks, 
guaranteed.

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