This is a copy of Correspondence received from The White House-Presidential Correspondence
Tuesday November 3, 2009
Dear Friend:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I have heard
from countless Americans struggling to afford health insurance and
health professionals striving to provide care. I appreciate your
perspective.
There is broad consensus among the American people on
the need for affordable, high-quality health care. The rising cost of
health care is the most pressing financial challenge for families and
for our Nation, and controlling this cost is essential to bringing
down the Federal deficits we inherited. We must also end unfair
insurance practices that leave millions of Americans without
coverage, deny them access to coverage, and expose them to
extraordinary burdens. And we should ensure that small
businesses have access to affordable, high-quality health plans for
their employees so that we can make our economy - and our small
businesses - more competitive. Now is the time to move forward,
and I am working to get health insurance reform done this year.
Since I took office, we have done more to improve health
care than we have in the previous decade. In February, I signed
H.R. 2 to provide coverage for millions of children through the
Children's Health Insurance Program, and I signed the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act to make key investments in
computerized medical records and preventive services.
Still, more must be done to lower costs, expand coverage,
and improve the quality of health care. Health insurance reform
must provide more security and stability to those who have health
insurance; make sure those who do not have insurance can find
affordable options; and lower the cost of health care for our
families, our businesses, and our government. Reform will benefit
seniors by protecting and strengthening Medicare, closing the
"donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs, and providing
free preventive care. To help fulfill the debt we owe to our service
men and women, I am committed to ensuring that we provide the
highest-quality health care possible to America's veterans. My
2010 budget requests the largest single-year increase in funding for
the Department of Veterans Affairs in three decades and
significantly expands health care coverage to an additional 500,000
veterans by 2013.
Ultimately, there are tough choices to be made, and I am
working to bring employers and workers, health care providers and
patients together to create a system that delivers high-quality
health care and puts the Nation on a sustainable, long-term fiscal
path. To learn more about my Health Insurance Reform Plan or to
share a personal story, please join me online at:
and assistance that may be available to you, you may call 1-800-
I share the sense of urgency that millions of Americans
have voiced. I watched as my ailing mother struggled with stacks
of insurance forms in the last moments of her life. This is not who
we are as a Nation; together, we will fix it.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
Copy of letter from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
October 15, 2009
Dear Ms. Sheckles:
Thank you for contacting me about Medicare. It is good to hear from you and I understand your concerns you have expressed in your letter.
I believe Congress should support Medicare improvements that place patients and providers first, rather than insurance companies and HMOs. Therefore it is essential, as we work towards meaningful health care reform, to address the inequalities between Medicare Advantage programs and traditional fee-for-service Medicare by implementing reforms that will support beneficiary access to quality care.
As Medicare spending grows to face rising health care costs and an increasing number of baby boom generation beneficiaries, ensuring the viability of Medicare is even more important now than ever. As we move forward in the 111th session of Congress with this pressing need in mind, I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me. We have taken the first steps in a long, arduous journey towards healthcare reform, and there is still much more to be done. It is my hope that we can make affordable, comprehensive health coverage a reality for all Americans.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
My best wishes to you.
Sincerely,
HARRY REID
United States Senator
Nevada
Copy of a letter received from U.S Senator John Ensign
This is an official communication from the Office of Senator John Ensign. Any tampering or alteration of this communication is prohibited and may result in criminal investigation or prosecution.
November 19, 2009
Dear Ms. Sheckles:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me concerning efforts to reform our healthcare system. I am grateful to hear from a fellow Nevadan, and it is always reassuring to see citizens taking an active role in the legislative process.
As a Member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs, I will be very involved in the healthcare reform debate. I believe that health reform legislation will be one of the most significant bills that will ever be considered by the Congress and will, in part, determine the direction of our country for many years to come. With about one-sixth of the economy at stake, we cannot address this matter lightly or without careful consideration. I believe it is essential that we work together across party lines to develop meaningful health reform legislation.
I certainly recognize the need for innovative solutions to address the healthcare system and the many chronic conditions affecting millions of people in this country. The problems associated with the healthcare system are complicated, to say the least. We need to reform the healthcare system. I do not believe, however, that the United States should create a public health plan that would compete with private health insurance plans. I am concerned that this would lay the groundwork for a government-run medical system, such as Canada's. It would be misguided to put government bureaucrats in charge of health care. This would ultimately eliminate choice, freedom, and flexibility for the vast majority of Americans.
We can reduce healthcare costs and improve access to private health insurance coverage through competition and market-based reforms. We should build on the strengths of the private sector to empower consumers to engage in their healthcare and spending decisions. For example, we should encourage financial incentives to patients for healthy behavior, such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or engaging in other responsible activities. I also believe that we need to encourage Americans to be more cost conscious but avoid the healthcare rationing that will inevitably follow if the healthcare system is turned over to the government.
I appreciate your healthcare reform principles and will work with my colleagues in the Senate to make health care more affordable, accessible, and available. Again, thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me. Should you have any other questions or comments, please do not hesitate to either write or e-mail
Sincerely,
JOHN ENSIGN
United States Senator
JE/u1
November 23, 2009
This is a copy of a letter we received from Congresswoman Dina Titus
Dear Ms. Sheckles-Bennett,
Thank you for contacting me about your support for increased federal funding for Devic's Disease research. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
Two government agencies take the lead in relieving suffering from illnesses in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) track the spread of disease and work to improve awareness and diagnosis by educating doctors and patients. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) fund research into treatments and cures. The Institute supports research of all types including clinical trials and the development of interventions and devices.
Unfortunately, the scientists at NIH are under siege. Over the past several years, funding for NIH has not kept pace with the costs of conducting biomedical research. For the last five years NIH funding has been basically flat at about $28 billion per year. As a result, promising research has not been funded, clinical trials have been delayed or terminated, jobs have been lost, and talented young investigators have turned to other careers or moved overseas to conduct their research. The recent boost in NIH funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which I supported is a very important step toward regaining the lost potential of the last several years.
Funding NIH research eases suffering and improves lives. It also creates jobs and trains new generations of scientists. I believe that NIH is one of our most important programs which is why I am committed to further increasing funding for disease research at the NIH. In March, I signed a letter to the House Appropriations Committee asking them to increase NIH funding by 7%. I believe, as you do, that increased NIH funding and research will produce more breakthroughs in the near future.
I want you to know that I understand how important this struggle is. Please know that I will continue to fight on your behalf to provide the scientists with the money they need to expand their work on therapies
and cures for Devic's Disease.
Thank you again for taking the time to get involved. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of future service.
Sincerely,
Dina Titus
Member of Congress
