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Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-21) held a roundtable discussion Monday to debate the proposed health care reform legislation, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, which was introduced into the House of Representatives last week. Rep. Tonko was joined by stakeholders from all sides of the health care discussion, including leaders from some of the area’s biggest hospitals, health care organizations, pharmacies, and unions.

Rep. Tonko called the meeting to get the opinions and ideas from those directly involved in providing care for the region’s residents.

“It’s important to break away from the policy debate in Washington and hear from those who will be directly affected by the reforms that are being discussed,” said Rep. Tonko. “There is no denying that we need to overhaul our health care system. Costs are spiraling out of control for businesses and families alike. The time to enact a comprehensive health care reform package is now, but we must take the time to listen to those who have the greatest understanding of how our health care system operates. We had a very active discussion, and exchanged a number of good ideas which I will take back to the debate in Washington. I want to thank those who took the time to take part in our meeting.”

This morning’s meeting was held at Rep. Tonko’s district office in Albany. A wide range of issues were discussed during the nearly two-hour long meeting, including how the proposed reforms will be financed, if the changes will help control costs, and the need to ensure that all Americans will have access to our health care system. There are currently 45 million people nationwide without health insurance coverage, with 2.5 million of those in New York State. Nearly four million people have lost their health care coverage since the start of our recession.

The proposed legislation would extend coverage to 97-percent of Americans, and enact a number of reforms, including:

• Creation of a stand alone public health insurance option to compete with private insurers to pilot innovative reforms and drive down costs.
• Establishing a new Health Insurance Exchange for individuals and small businesses to purchase their health insurance.
• The bill would also cap annual out-of-pocket expenses associated with health care costs at $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for families, ending the need for medical bankruptcies.

Steven Boyle, President and CEO of St. Peter’s Health Care Services, said: “We support health care reform. This is a great moment in time to get real reform, but health reform must be policy-based. We need a definitive, national health policy which does not currently exist… and reforms should be based on that policy – not just on how we fund health care. Congressman Tonko knows that while we’re talking about health reform, policy and funding, the impact is human-based – it affects people, often very vulnerable people. The Congressman’s attempt to have a full discussion of the issue with voices from varied backgrounds is laudable.”

Albany County Executive Michael Breslin said: “As a local elected official, I applaud Congressman Tonko’s commitment to health care reform.  I am impressed with Congressman Tonko’s thoughtful approach to this topic and I believe that he will continue to be an independent voice for his constituents.  America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 will move our nation’s health care system towards greater efficiency, access and savings.  There will be added commitments to long term and preventative care, two issues that have crippled our system for years and have allowed the costs of long term care to spiral out of control.  This will be the most important overhaul of our health care system since Congress took on Medicare and Medicaid reform nearly 40 years ago.  From my recent discussions with Congressman Tonko, it is clear that he understands all aspects of this issue and will continue to seek advice and counsel from a wide variety of stakeholders and participants.”

“AARP thanks Congressman Tonko for hosting a vibrant roundtable discussion on health care with key stakeholders in the 21st Congressional District,” said Erin Mitchell, AARP Associate State Director.  “We look forward to working with Congressman Tonko to ensure that older Americans’ health care needs are met, particularly with regards to closing the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap in the final bill.”

Rep. Tonko added: “We need a thoughtful plan with input from everyone – health care reform will not be a mandate handed down by Congress and the President but a collaborative effort that brings together a wide variety of people from across the political spectrum. We are committed to working on this bill collectively, which was the purpose behind this meeting today.”

The House is expected to vote on the historic health care legislation in the coming weeks.

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