Dear Friends,

Congress wanted more time to study the health care bill, so we held off on voting until after August. This issue affects every American and is key to putting our country on the path to long-term economic stability. I’m pleased that we have more time.

However, a lot of groups are using this time to spend millions of dollars to spread harmful myths designed to confuse and frighten you. I’d like to set the record straight on a few of the myths I hear the most.

1. Reforming health care will not lead to out of control deficit spending. The bill will be paid for; half through health care sector savings and the other half through a new surcharge on the richest 1% of Americans. If we do nothing to rein in healthcare costs, this country will continue to accumulate bigger and bigger deficits that eat at our fiscal stability.

2. This legislation will not insure illegal aliens. Here is the exact language in the bill: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”

3. This legislation will not create a government-run health care system. If you have employer-based private health care, and you like it, keep it. It will remain private and you will keep your doctors. If you are a senior on Medicare, or are lower-income and currently receive your health care through Medicaid, your coverage will also stay the same. However, if you do not work or if your employer does not offer health care coverage, you will be eligible for the health insurance exchange. The exchange will include several private options and a public option.

Current Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates project that more than 80-percent of participants in the exchange will choose one of the private options. However, the presence of a public option will be good for competition. It will establish minimum coverage standards and prevent private insurers from excluding those with pre-existing conditions or dropping the sick from their rolls.

4. There is nothing in the bill that will lead to rationing health care. Currently, insurance companies make many major health decisions. This bill puts that important power in your hands and your doctors’ hands. In other words, insurance companies will no longer be able to ration care by retroactively canceling policies when patients become sick or refuse to cover important services.

5. Offering a public insurance option, as just one of the choices available to consumers, will not crowd out employer-based coverage. However, if we do nothing and costs continue to rise, more employers will be forced to drop coverage. If we reform the system and contain costs, we will in fact help employers and they will continue to offer coverage in order to compete in the labor market.

6. This reform will not cost jobs even though it requires employers to offer health insurance or pay to opt out. Under our current system there is no requirement for employers to offer insurance, yet 99-percent of large firms do and nearly 65-percent of small firms do. For the firms already offering coverage, health reform will bring much needed competition and affordability to the insurance market. In addition, the smallest firms will be exempt. Finally, a 50-percent credit to help pay for premiums will be available for small businesses. In Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District, over 11,000 small businesses could receive tax credits to help cover their employees.

7. Seniors’ coverage under Medicare will actually benefit, not be cut. 9,200 seniors in my district, who currently get caught by the Medicare Part D donut hole in their prescription coverage, will avoid that pitfall because we are closing the hole. In addition, any cost savings by reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare will be reinvested right back into Medicare. These reforms will help modernize the Medicare program and strengthen its financial health, protecting both Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers. In addition, this bill will eliminate the 21% scheduled reduction in physician payments, which was planned for 2011, ensuring that seniors have access to the doctors they need and deserve.

8. There is a terrible myth being spread that health care reform promotes euthanasia. Not true. If a doctor and a patient choose to have a conversation about end-of-life care and advance care planning, this legislation simply provides Medicare the ability to pay for the doctors’ time. This type of counseling is already going on, and doctors should be the ones providing it to patients and families who wish to have it as they face a terminal illness and have to make decisions about pain management and resuscitation. Under the legislation, Medicare will reimburse for the doctor’s time once every five years or more often if the patient becomes significantly sicker. However, this legislation does not require that this conversation take place.

9. Finally, staying the course with our current health care system is not an option. Last year in my district alone, nearly 1,300 families had to declare bankruptcy because of health related expenses. Hospitals and doctors in my district provided $89 million to care for the uninsured. That cost was then passed on to those who had insurance, driving up rates. Without reform, the average cost for a family insurance policy increases by $1,800 each year. That means every year it becomes more unaffordable for small businesses to insure their employees and more unaffordable for families to go it alone.

Doing nothing will more than double all of our health costs over the next ten years. That skyrocketing cost will strip millions more Americans of their coverage and it will send our deficit spending through the roof. That is the health care plan we choose by doing nothing.

If you would like to learn more about healthcare reform, please visit my website at www.charliewilson.house.gov where you will find the latest news and a special “healthcare reform” section. I hope you will also consider signing up for my e-newsletter to receive periodic updates on important issues, like health care reform, and services for your family.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District

Dear Friends,

Our current health care system isn’t working for women. Last week, the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) of the House and Senate released a new report about the drastic number of women who have lost their health care coverage in the current economic crisis.

This report underscores the urgent need to reform our health care system. Every day that we focus on disruptive town hall meetings or the gross misinformation being generated in this debate is a day crucial facts are not heard.

The facts are staggering: over a million American women have lost insurance during this recession because their husband lost his job; three out of four women between age 55 and 64 report delaying health care because their own coverage was jeopardized by a spouse’s transition onto Medicare; and a full 28% of women under age 25 have no insurance at all – in the richest country in the world.

The JEC report, titled “Comprehensive Health Reform: An Essential Prescription for Women,” includes original analysis showing that over 1.4 million women have lost their health insurance benefits during the current economic crisis because of their own, or their spouse’s job loss. The report shows a spike in the number of children losing health care coverage when their single mothers face unemployment, estimating that hundreds of thousands of children lost their health care in this recession. It also details that younger and older women face unique risks when it comes to coverage and access to affordable, quality care.

No woman in our country should fear losing her coverage because she lost her job, changed jobs or decided to start her own business. We must reform health care to give every single American the peace of mind that their family’s health care coverage will be there when they need it, and at an affordable price.

We are working on a way to do just that and not add to our deficit. This is a crucial part of our long-term economic recovery. Currently, health care is the largest drag on our federal deficit and Americans spend twice as much on health care as any other nation. By reforming our system now, we will rein in the soaring costs of premiums for families and American businesses, put our country back on the road to fiscal responsibility, and rebuild our economy on a stronger foundation.

Recently, Sarah Wildman told us about her terrible experience with discriminatory health insurance practices. A self-employed woman with health insurance, Wildman was shocked to receive a bill for $22,000 in hospital expenses for having a baby. She explained how she learned that the insurance policy she’d bought through the individual market—her only option for coverage—capped her birth-related expenses at $3,000, covering a mere fraction of her maternity costs.

In Columbiana, Dawn, a small business owner, has struggled to find health care for her family for years. Due to a doctor’s mistake when he was 23 days old, Dawn’s son was left with brain damage and permanent cognitive disabilities. For years no insurance company would cover her son. He is now covered under Ohio Medicaid’s Healthy Start program, but her family must maintain a low income to qualify for the program.

Women all over America need to understand their stake in this health insurance reform debate. We must not let the insurance industry or any other voice drown out the voices of American women in this debate about health insurance reform.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District

Also, here are some factoids contained in the same e-mail:

Health Care Reform By the Numbers in Ohio’s Sixth District

- 81,000 people who currently do not have health insurance in our district will receive coverage. (This does not include illegal immigrants.)

- 11,300 small businesses in our district will qualify for tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing health insurance.

- 9,200 seniors in our district, currently caught in the Medicare Part D donut hole, will receive immediate relief.

- In 2008, 1,270 families in our district had to declare health care-related bankruptcy, primarily due to health care costs not covered by insurance.

- In 2008, health care providers in our district provided $89 million worth of uncompensated care to individuals who lacked insurance coverage and were unable to pay their bills.

- 99.6% of taxpayers in our district would not see their tax rate change. Only 1,100 households in the entire Sixth District would be affected by the slight surcharge.

Dear Friends,

Today I voted to increase funding for the “cash for clunkers” program. The initial launch has been so successful in encouraging Americans to trade in their old gas guzzlers for new fuel-efficient cars, that funding ran out and Congress is acting quickly to extend it. The House passed the increase today and the Senate is expected to vote next week.

The program allows consumers to trade in their old, gas-guzzling cars for vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help pay for new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Almost 200,000 cars have already been bought through the program, and it is expected to spur the sale of up to 800,000 more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, while stimulating the ailing auto industry and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

This is a smart program that’s working and we want to solidify it. This is a strong part of the Recovery program that’s stabilizing our auto industry, growing a clean energy economy, and helping working families save money at the pump.

The legislation provides rebates for cars and trucks in the following four categories:

• Passenger Cars: The old vehicle must get 18 mpg or less. New vehicles with improvement of at least 4 mpg will get a $3,500 voucher. New vehicles with improvement of at least 10 mpg will get a $4,500 voucher.

• Light-Duty Trucks: The old vehicle must get 18 mpg or less. New vehicles with improvement of at least 2 mpg will get a $3,500 voucher. New vehicles with improvement of at least 5 mpg will get a $4,500 voucher.

• Large light-Duty Trucks: The old vehicle must get 15 mpg or less. New vehicles with improvement of at least 1 mpg will get a $3,500 voucher or trade-in of a “work truck.” New vehicles with improvement of at least 2 mpg will get a $4,500 voucher.

• Work Trucks: The old vehicle must be a pre-2002 model. New vehicles in the same or smaller weight class will get a $3,500 voucher.

The initial bipartisan legislation was supported by a broad coalition that includes the AFL-CIO, UAW, car dealers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

This is a strong bipartisan effort that helps everyone win. We’re saving jobs, and saving millions of gallons of gas by taking old cars off the road and helping working families afford fuel efficient vehicles.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District

And some quick facts also included in the e-mail:

Dear Friends,

After decades of political wrangling, we now have an opportunity to implement a uniquely American health care solution. This year alone, the Congress has held 79 hearings in Washington and hundreds of town hall meetings across the country. I have talked to many of you around the district and on my recent telephone town hall. While we are still waiting to see the final details of the bill, I already know of significant benefits for the people of Ohio’s Sixth District and I would like share them with you.

81,000 people who currently do not have health insurance in our district will receive coverage. Many ask why we can not cover everyone and the answer is that some of those not covered are not legal citizens and illegal immigrants will not be covered by this reform program.

Contrary to the belief that health care reform will hurt small businesses, I believe this bill will help small businesses. Under the legislation, small businesses with 25 employees or less and average wages of less than $40,000 qualify for tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing health insurance. There are up to 11,300 small businesses in the district that would qualify for these credits.

For our seniors on Medicare, there will be big improvements as well. Each year, 9,200 seniors in the district get caught by the Part D donut hole and are forced to pay their full drug costs, despite having Part D drug coverage. The health care reform legislation would provide them with immediate relief, cutting brand name drug costs in the donut hole by 50%, and ultimately eliminating the donut hole.

Health care reform will also mean financial security for families hit by illness. In 2008 1,270 families in our district had to declare health care-related bankruptcy, primarily due to health care costs not covered by insurance. The bill provides health insurance for almost every American and caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $10,000 per year, ensuring that no citizen will have to face financial ruin because of high health care costs.

In 2008, health care providers in the district provided $89 million worth of uncompensated care, care that was provided to individuals who lacked insurance coverage and were unable to pay their bills. In the end, much of that uncompensated care gets passed to those who have insurance and we all watch our rates continue to go up and up. Under the legislation, these costs of uncompensated care would be virtually eliminated, which will help stabilize all of our costs.

I will make every effort to ensure that this legislation is deficit neutral. The cost of health care reform under the legislation is fully paid for: half through making the Medicare and Medicaid program more efficient and half through a surcharge on the income of the wealthiest, those with annual family incomes above $350,000. This surcharge would affect only 1,100 households in the entire 6th district – that means 99.6% of taxpayers in the district would not see their tax rate change.

The bill is currently being revised. While I am eager to see the final version of the bill before committing to a final vote, I’m excited by what I’ve seen so far. This legislation could do a lot of good for the people of Ohio’s Sixth District.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District

Dear Friends,

Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 2454 – The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. This month alone I heard from thousands of residents of Ohio’s Sixth District via email and phone and I wanted to let you know that I voted “no” on the bill.

Members of the House worked very hard to come up with the kind of energy reform bill that will both reduce greenhouse gases and lead our country to energy independence. Both are goals that I support, and progress on the bill in the House was encouraging, but I felt it didn’t go far enough to protect energy consumers and industries in my district.

I believe that coal must and will play a major role in our nation’s transition to energy independence. In Ohio, 86 percent of our electricity comes from coal. And the vast majority of that coal comes from Appalachian Ohio. Because we are located in an area of the country that heavily relies on coal to turn on the lights and heat our homes, Ohio families and her energy intensive industries, like steel, will bear the brunt of the cost from this version of climate change legislation.

This legislation is still being worked on by the Senate and I’m eager to see what that bill looks like.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District

Dear Friends,

Today, three House committees announced their draft proposal to reform our health care system and ensure affordable, quality health care—a critical fix to an unsustainably expensive system that hurts families and puts American businesses at a global disadvantage. The committees on Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means have worked together to present a uniquely American plan that reduces costs to consumers, protects current coverage and preserves the choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans.

We need health care reform. The ever rising cost of health care is hurting families and it will prevent our economy from making a full recovery. We have the most expensive health care in the world, but we are not the healthiest country. That just doesn’t make sense and it’s got to change.

The draft proposal announced today would protect what works in our health care system and reform what does not, encouraging competition to lower costs and increase choice.

We’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you have good coverage that you like, you keep it. The committees have worked hard to protect that choice and I’m glad it’s a key part of the legislation that Congress will start examining through hearings in the coming weeks.

The plan also provides greater choices by including a public health insurance option and I am interested in learning more about the public option. But, I believe it must compete on a level playing field and adequately reimburse doctors and hospitals.

Our health care draft proposal fulfills commitments made by this Congress and President Obama to reform health care. The draft proposal:

• Lowers costs for American families by -
- Putting an end to co-pays and deductibles for preventive care
- Capping annual out-of-pocket expenses so Americans are no longer driven into financial ruin by the cost of   medical care
- Ending rate increases based on pre-existing conditions, gender, or occupation
- Offering the group purchasing power of a national pool if buying your own plan is necessary
- Guaranteeing, affordable oral health and vision care for kids

• Offers stability and peace of mind with -
- An end to coverage denials for a pre-existing condition like heart disease, diabetes, or cancer
- The care you need with an end to lifetime limits
- The freedom to make job and life choices not based on health care coverage

• Improves the quality of health care in this country -
- Doctors–not insurance companies—will be in charge of health care decisions
- More family doctors and nurses will enter the workforce, at better payment rates, helping to guarantee your access to quality care

• Helps Small Businesses –
- An exemption from the employer responsibility requirement will be put in place for certain small businesses
- A new small business tax credit will be available for those firms who want to provide health coverage to their workers, but cannot afford it today.

I’m particularly pleased about the protections for small businesses in this plan. As we move forward with this blueprint for reform, we must work to make sure the plan is fiscally responsible. If we don’t act now, within a decade, we will be spending one out of every five dollars we earn on health care. We can’t leave the burden of the cost of health care to our children and grandchildren.

Several hearings on the health care reform legislation are scheduled for next week.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to tell you about a new program that will help stimulate investment in hard-hit economic Recovery Zones like those in Ohio’s Sixth District.

Today the U.S. Treasury Department announced that $45,477,000 in bond authority will be immediately available for local governments in Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District under the Recovery Zone Bonds program. Recovery Zone Bonds, created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are targeted to areas particularly affected by significant job loss and will help county governments obtain capital for much needed economic development projects.

These bonds will help in so many ways. The program will make it easier for counties and private businesses to borrow money at a better rate. The counties and businesses that make up my district can then use that money to improve infrastructure, increase job training and help families struggling with this tough economy.

According to details released by the Treasury Department today, the program includes two new types of Recovery Zone Bonds: Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds and Recovery Zone Facility Bonds.

Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds are another type of taxable Build America Bond that allow State and local governments to obtain lower borrowing costs through a new direct federal payment subsidy, equal to 45 percent of the interest cost. The funds will finance a broad range of qualified economic development projects, such as job training and educational programs. Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District is eligible for $18,191,000 in Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds.

Recovery Zone Facility Bonds are tax-exempt private activity bonds that can be utilized by private businesses in designated areas for a range of projects; however the bonds cannot be used for multi-family housing. Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District is eligible for $27,286,000 in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds. Private businesses will apply to the county receiving the bonds.

All twelve of the counties that make up the Sixth District have been allocated Recovery Zone Bonds:

Counties will be working on specific plans to use these bonds. In addition, I’m told that the Ohio Department of Development is reviewing the IRS guidance and devising a plan to use any Recovery Zone Bond allocations that may be waived by counties that don’t expect to use them. I hope all 12 of the counties that make up my district use all of the bonds available to them for local projects that will directly benefit our citizens.

Sincerely,

Charlie Wilson
Member of Congress
Ohio’s Sixth District