Health Care Conference Call With Allyson Schwartz

On July 22nd, the Philadelphia Unemployment Project (www.philaup.org) and the Pennsylvania chapter of Health Care America Now (www.hcanpa.org) held a conference all on health care, with Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz as a featured speaker. I wasn’t able to sit in on the call but was able to listen to a recording of it. This is not a transcript of the call, but rough notes from it.

Antoinette Kraus of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project served as moderator. After Rep. Schwartz spoke and took questions, Marc Stier of Health Care America Now spoke and took questions.

AK thanks everyone for calling in and provides an outline of the call and who will be speaking. She introduces the congresswoman, a member of the Ways & Means Committee, representative of the 13th congressional district, and a long time leader in health care.

AS: Thanks to all. This is such an interesting time. There is an interest in seeing a way forward in health care. For families, businesses and government, extending meaningful affordable coverage to all Americans. Bills are moving through committees, 2 of 3 committees passed have passed legislation, ways & means, education& workforce, now in energy & commerce. We are working on getting the bills out on the House floor. House bill hopefully voted on before the August recess. Those not involved in the process are asking a lot of question. One area of concern, is there some way we can do more to contain cost. Half of cost through savings in Medicare & Medicaid. Rest through revenue raisers, code for increasing someone’s taxes. Are we doing all we can to help small businesses and not hurt them. Enough to reform efficiency and quality. Those are areas of concern. Many people asking question. If information is out then more support. Get in touch with members of congress, encourage them to vote for the bill. Talking with fellow congress representatives encouraging them to move it forward. Still optimistic. Want to vote in House if not Senate before recess. Then maintain direct engagement.

Q: Concern about whether or not full reproductive issues will be included

AS: There is in each of the committees a bill to exclude abortion. Push back to prevent that from happening. There is interest in being more explicit to keep abortion out. This is in private plans. Setting minimum benefits plan, co-pays for employees, want to make sure most of those plans include reproductive issues. amendments will probably be added, needed to make sure they are not included.

Q: Helping persuade 4th district congressman Jason Altmire, any advice or guidance, funding mechanism a big concern for him.

AS: This would be for all members. Continue to talk to Altmire. There are real efforts for cost containment. Efforts for cost containment and delivery system reform. Appropriate for him to be concerned, don’t like raise taxes on anyone including millionaires. Have those who work in hospitals talk to him, trying to make sure teaching hospitals not harmed.

Q: I’m at a loss. Casey for it, Specter waffling. Who else should I call?

AS: I actually think staying within PA is very important, staying on Specter. Things very fluid. Specter wants to be for this bill. He tends not to make a judgment; he hasn’t even seen the content of this bill yet. Makes sense for him not to be sure as hasn’t seen bill. Keep him open and interested. Most helpful to call your own representative. Contact outside your district if you are part of broader constituency. Really only We have 4 members of the Blue Dog Coalition in PA. Altmire, Dahlkemper, Carney, and Holden. Might support us, concerned about issues. Also concerned about pressure from insurance companies and also raising taxes. Doing major phone banking effort across state. Not calling Philly area leaders but calling people in other districts to contact their representative. Calling list of people who know care about this issue and ask them to contact their rep. Might help counterbalance pressure from other side. Understand how important this historic moment is. Biggest impact on improving quality of life in improving health care and reducing cost of insurance. Once passed people will love it so much it will strengthen the case for progressive ideas. Don’t worry about day to day stuff you see in the newspaper. One day you read blue dogs upset. Tomorrow you read good news. Next day bad news. That’s the legislative process, a lot of posturing going on. People in Democratic party at least understand just how historic this moment is. Got to keep doing the work on the ground, momentum of work. 10, 20, 30 years from now when historic nature of this legislation is understood you will have been a part of it. Do your part and we will win this.

AK: took over 2000 to DC for a rally. Keep up the good work.

Q: small business, why wouldn’t businesses make employees part time to avoid paying benefits.

MS: in legislation part time employees will get some form of health care. If only p-t then higher turnover. Small businesses will basically be able to go into a large pool, go into the insurance exchange, prohibitions against charging more for preexisting conditions and charging more for a lot of women of childbearing age. Small businesses will find it easier to provide insurance. We have been asking the national office if they can come up with the numbers, what percentage the cost will drop. Hard to come up with those numbers because of a lot of variables. They pay 30, 40, 50% more than larger businesses, we think they will pay about what larger businesses pay. May have to pay a payroll tax of about 2%, to buy as individuals. Independence Blue Cross just raised their rates 6K a year, not to that but an increase of that.

Q: curious about provisions for individual policy holders. Someone told him that the draft of the bill saying that people will not be able to leave their insurer after the bill goes through, either stay with that or go to public option.

MS: When you see conservatives criticize bill assume they don’t know what they are talking about or are lying. Leadership are not going to put something in the bill that is stupid. If you like your insurance you can keep it. But you don’t have to stay with it. Prevent large businesses from immediately dump their employees into the public plan. Phase in for public plan and insurance exchange. After phase in, 4 or 5 years big businesses can send employees to public plan for 8% tax. Medicare affected in two ways. Close donut hole. Aggressive efforts to control costs in Medicare. One example, hospitals won’t be paid to treat hospital acquired infections.

Q: Continue to have the conversations with the small businesses, great sense of urgency but also anxiety. Keep them in the loop

MS: reach out to small businesses and tell them what’s in the bill. They will see if makes sense and benefits them. Write your newspapers. The other side is using a lot of scare tactics.

AK: thanks to all on the call. Keep up the work in their districts. We need everyone’s help, phone calls, letters.