Congressman Parker Griffith won't support newly unveiled HR 3200 health care reform bill
By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-11-09 12:14:01 | Word Count: 386
When House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled the final version of the health care reform bill, North Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith wasted no time in sharing his opinion about it.
He issued a press release shortly after its delivery that he was against House Bill 3200.
[ advertisement ]
"As I began to read the bill, it became clear that a government-run public option would remain the foundation of the legislation's aim," said Griffith, D-Huntsville, a retired doctor.
"I was hopeful that we would see a new bill that aggressively tackled tort reform, addressed the growing problem of physician shortages in our nation hospitals, and did not include a public option. This did not happen, and I cannot support this bill."
As explained in the nearly 2,000-page bill, the cost of the legislation would be $894 billion over the next 10 years. In order to keep it "deficit neutral," the bill's writers say it contains a 5.4 percent tax on individuals who make over $500,000 per year and couples who make over $1 million per year.
There would also be cost savings due to the elimination of waste within the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs, the bill states.
Griffith said the plan would add too much to the national debt.
"Improving the best health care system in the world to include the 23 million Americans without access to affordable care is a worthy goal," he said, "but we cannot do it by adding trillions of dollars in debt to an already overburdened treasury.
"I am hopeful that a health care reform bill will come out of the House and Senate conference committee that both Democrats and Republicans can support."
The bill being proposed in the Senate also has a "negotiated rate" public insurance option like the House bill has. The Senate bill also contains an "opt-out" clause for states which choose not to participate in the program.
