District 8 Report by Councilmember Rose Herrera - December 2009
(Courtesy of Evergreen Times)

In Support of Health Care Reform
By Council Member Rose Herrera

As Congress moves forward to consider new health care legislation, I think it's important to discuss the possible effects health care reform could have on the residents of San Jose.

Like much of the country, residents in Santa Clara County struggle with access to and affordability of health care. About 9.5% of county residents, about 168,000 people, are uninsured. Since health care is not affordable for many uninsured residents, when they do seek medical care, the burden to pay for it is shifted to the county or other government programs. Many people are denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions or have coverage terminated when they get sick.
Another issue is underinsured Americans. Although people who are underinsured have minimal health insurance in case of a huge medical emergency, they don’t have the kind of regular care that can prevent those devastating problems from arising in the first place. Therefore, we need a system in which citizens will be covered in case of an emergency, but importantly, also prevents life changing and expensive conditions from arising in the first place.

For those who do have insurance, even those who receive insurance through their employers, the costs are increasing. In California, the cost of employer based health insurance premiums rose 109% between 2000 and 2009.  This cost increase affects the City of San Jose who has seen over a 150% increase in employee health insurance costs during that same time period.

As the health reform bill moves forward in the coming weeks there is still time and room for improvement. I believe two important points should be included in the plan.  First, the plan should include a guarantee that consumers can keep their current health coverage if they like it.  Second, we must ensure cost containment through expanded choices, open to everyone, that would force insurance companies to compete.  This can be done through a public option or by allowing insurance exchanges across state lines.  We must introduce real competition if we are going to have real reform. 
All our citizens deserve quality medical care and freedom from fear of financial ruin should something unexpected and disastrous occur. And we can’t forget the importance of preventative medicine, which can not only save lives and improve our quality of living, but save our government money at the same time.

As the Senate moves to pass their version of health care reform, I encourage all residents to engage in meaningful discussion about the state of health care in this country and what will be best for all of us as Americans. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
As always, my office is open to input and suggestions by emailing district8@sanjoseca.gov, or calling 408-535-4908.