KOHL LEADS LETTER TO BAUCUS URGING FURTHER MEASURES TO REDUCE HEALTH CARE COSTS

WASHINGTON - Today U.S. Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Mark Begich (D-AK), Evan Bayh (D-IN), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) in advance of next week's mark up of health reform legislation, urging him to include further cost-cutting measures to curb the rapid growth of health care spending. In the letter, the senators recognize that getting costs under control will require more than mere rhetoric, and offer their support in making decisions that may be unpopular to influential industry groups.

 

"In the past, cutting costs has been difficult due to the powerful opposition of the many special interests whose profits would be affected," the letter reads. "There are many, wide-ranging options to address the broad and complicated issue of runaway health care costs, and we pledge our support to you in making the necessary and tough decisions. This is our number one priority.  If we pass health reform legislation without addressing the issue of health care spending, we will have failed."

 

Senator Kohl and the Senators who joined him all have records supporting legislation that would reign in health care costs and make the American health care system more sustainable.

 

A copy of the letter in its entirety is available below:

           

September 17, 2009

 

The Honorable Max Baucus

Chairman

Senate Finance Committee

219 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

 

First and foremost, we appreciate your tireless efforts to craft bipartisan health care reform legislation.  In particular, we applaud your work to reduce the growth in health care spending. 

 

As you know very well, the most important challenge we face in reforming the nation's health care system is getting costs under control.  Our country's spending towers above other industrialized nations.  We spend roughly $7300 per American per year while other developed countries spend an average of $2900, yet our health care quality is not any higher.  These other countries' experiences make it clear that the goal of quality, universal, and affordable health care is achievable.

 

The rapid growth in health spending impacts every American family, every business, as well as our government, and we must consider every option to reduce its ever growing burden.   Problems in both private and government health care systems are rooted in these high costs, including our high rate of uninsured Americans and the future solvency of Medicare.  Despite past efforts in Congress to lower the rise in health care expenditures, costs continue to skyrocket.

 

We recognize that tough choices must be made to achieve this goal.  In the past, cutting costs has been difficult due to the powerful opposition of the many special interests whose profits would be affected.  There are many, wide-ranging options to address the broad and complicated issue of runaway health care costs, and we pledge our support to you in making the necessary and tough decisions.  This is our number one priority.  If we pass health reform legislation without addressing the issue of health care spending, we will have failed.

 

Should an issue arise that we can be of help, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

 

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