Dear Chelsey,

Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform. It is an honor to represent the people of Eastern Washington and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

I’ll bet. I also love the “Thank you for contacting me regarding” part because, just like my name in the greeting, I know the next part, “health care reform” is the field I had to choose when I sent the e-mail. Hooray for form letters! And databases!

Access to quality and affordable health care is one of my top priorities in Congress. In rural areas like Eastern Washington, access is even more difficult due to geographical challenges and a shortage of medical professionals in rural areas. I am working hard to ensure that Congress increases funding to train additional nurses, doctors and allied health care professionals.

Citation needed.

Also, *yawn*

Although, there are a number of serious issues that must be addressed to ensure affordability and access, we should not sacrifice what has been the best health care system in the world for the frustrations and weaknesses of a one-sized fits all [sic] government-run health care delivery system.

Best? Citation needed.

But don’t let me miss the next good stuff: How, exactly, Ms. McMorris Rodgers, is it a one-size-fits-all system? Creating another option is not one-size-fits-all. Nor is the government going to deliver healthcare — I believe they will “administer” it — oh, hey — LIKE THE ONES THEY’RE ALREADY RUNNING: Medicare, Medicaid, and VA. Which is to say, it’s not perfect but at least it’s accessible (…for the people who qualify). Perhaps instead of misleading your constituents about the type of care being offered, you work on improving the one on the table so it doesn’t have the pitfalls of the current gov’t options.

I recognize that sky-rocketing insurance costs are causing more and more people to forego such coverage. These individuals face significant obstacles in the health insurance marketplace such as increasing costs, limited choices of insurers and inflexible benefit options. Almost two-thirds of the uninsured are the working poor, who cite the high cost of insurance as the main hurdle to health care coverage. One of the problems that drive insurance coverage to unreachable costs is excessive state regulation.

How is that, exactly?

Some believe the government has the answers to America‘s health care problems. They believe these issues can be solved by spending more money and greatly expanding the role of federal government; however, this is not the answer. Americans value choice and control over their health care decisions and greater government involvement in our health sector would lead to higher costs, fewer medical discoveries and treatments, delays in access to care, and excessive and expensive increase in paperwork and bureaucracy. Last year, more than 800,000 Canadians were waiting for health procedures for nearly 18 weeks on average and in a 2003 study far more Americans were satisfied with their health care than Canadians.

Okay, a couple things: One, I am so tired of the mischaracterization that people who aren’t Republicans want to “spend money.” It’s not true. I don’t like spending money myself, but I like things to work well and efficiently. Sometimes, such as when buying a computer to research and write, or a dishwasher to clean my plates, efficiency and access cost money. That is why we spend money. And sometimes — often, even — it is not money well spent. That is when we can use fiscal conservativism to check and balance what is working and what isn’t.You should be checking and balancing, not actively preventing people like me from being able to afford health insurance. Personally, I’m no fan of the plan — I need to keep reading up on it, but it seems very unwieldy — and I’d prefer you to spend your time improving it, not killing it.

Two, as to greater gov’t involvement leading to higher costs, fewer discoveries, delays in access, etc., I’d like to know first of all what evidence you have of that, and then I’d like to point out that you’re making an assumption about it because you don’t want it to work.

Three, it’s insulting to me that you think I’d fall for comparing the Democrats’ plan to the Canadian single-payer system. That is not what’s being proposed — it’s not even an option, though I think it’s a good one, because we could improve on the Canadians’ plan. This is entirely misleading — actually, no, it’s a lie.Quit lying to us. That’s not what we elected you to do.

I have introduced legislation to improve access, affordability, quality, accountability and choice, while reducing costs in health care as a viable alternative to a government-run all health care system for America. Since coming to Congress, I have supported legislation to allow individuals to purchase health insurance from other states, to allow small businesses to band together to offer health coverage to their employees and to eliminate tax code discrimination against people who do not get health insurance from their employer. The bill makes refundable tax credits available to all Americans, regardless of job status.

Uh-huh? And how has that worked out?

The bills I have supported in the past, and those I will continue to support, will increase access to quality and affordable health care, without expanding the federal government’s role. To create a governmental single payer system perhaps may allow more people to be covered; but I believe that it could seriously jeopardize the quality of care delivered.

OMG IT’S NOT A SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM being proposed.

Thanks again for contacting me on this very important issue. As your Representative in Congress, I am committed to putting the best interests of Eastern Washington first, working to restore trust, solving our growing energy needs with American energy sources and innovation, challenging each one of us to make healthy choices, and ensuring we have an education system which maximizes the potential of every child. I invite you to visit my website at www.mcmorrisrodgers.house.gov for additional information or to sign up to be kept up to date on these issues. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if I can be of further assistance.

*yawn* Filler.

Best Wishes,

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Member of Congress

The thing that gets to me is that for as many valid pitfalls and loopholes and issues as there are with the current plan, my representative’s method of trying to sway my opinion is misinformation, not valid argument. It’s insulting, really.