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LETTER: Rate Increase Emphasizes Need For Health Insurance Reform

By Beacon Staff

Recently, I was informed that our company’s health insurance rates were going to be increased by 35 percent. This will not only substantially decrease my take home pay but will have a severe impact on my employer’s budget, causing him to forestall any future wage increases. This is a prime example of why people that have health insurance need reform as well as those who don’t.

Sen. Max Baucus’ bill is currently going through mark-up in the Senate Finance Committee. This bill identifies a number of ways to keep costs down to make health insurance affordable by everyone. It requires everyone to buy insurance and provides subsidies at different income levels to those who can’t afford it so no one goes without. This will enlarge the risk pool so that everybody would be charged less each month. The bill also creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system thereby reigning in costs. These are just a couple of ways health care reform will help those of us who already have health insurance. We desperately need it.
John Rossiter
Billings