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Health programs our largest challenge

Aug 05, 2007 - 04:03:03 CDT

By KENT CONRAD
Washington

In response to Martin Bauer's letter, "Too Many People Not Paid Enough" (July 30), I agree with much of what he wrote.

President Bush's tax cuts did provide too much of their benefit to the wealthiest among us. Those making more than $1 million received an average tax cut of $118,477 in 2006, compared with an average tax cut of $398 for those making less than $50,000. That's unfair. It's also bad economics - since these tax cuts were financed by adding to the debt, which ultimately hurts economic growth.

But Bauer wrongly characterized my views on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Throughout my career, I have defended our nation's health and retirement programs and worked to make them solvent for future generations.

The fact is that while Social Security gets the most attention, due to rising health care costs, our health programs are the larger challenge to our nation's long-term fiscal security. That is why I have made a number of proposals to address rising health care costs.

For example, I have long said one way to control the rising cost of health care is to focus on the chronically ill - people with several serious medical conditions. According to estimates, the chronically ill represent about 5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries but account for about half of Medicare costs. Studies have shown that this patient population's care is not well-coordinated.

As a result, they're often taking too many prescription drugs, many times actually making them sicker, rather than healthier. Studies show that coordinating the care of the chronically ill better can save money and improve health care outcomes.

I have also called for broadening the use of information technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care. Investing in high-tech health information systems could save thousands of lives and save tens of billions of dollars. The RAND Corp. has found that health IT measures already in the works could eventually save $80 billion each year.

In addition, I've called for the creation of a comparative effectiveness center to examine which health care practices and technologies now being used across the country are the most efficient. The results would be developed into best practices and shared within the medical community.

With the coming retirement of the baby boom generation, we are facing a real demographic tsunami. We must find savings in our entitlement programs. But we can reform these vital programs without harming beneficiaries. Given the coming retirement of the baby boom generation, doing nothing is not an option.

(Conrad is a U.S. senator from North Dakota. - Editor)

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Comments

Hey Kent wrote on Aug 5, 2007 8:48 PM:

" How about unburdoning those of us who have health insurance by not making us pick up the slack for those who don't? Why not give us a rebate for those of us that don't acess our health insurnace plans? Make the incentive to not go to the Emergency room for every sniffle or headache. There are so many ways to go about this. "

Dakotan wrote on Aug 5, 2007 12:54 PM:

" Right on, Herb and insider. Kent is using the old class envy ploy. I just heard what percentage of the people in this country pay taxes and something like the bottom 25% or so pay a tiny percentage of the overall taxes collected. Plus those quite a few of those people in the bottom 25% are probably eligible for all the goodies our congressmen have set up for them - food stamps, aid to dependent children, welfare, heating assistance, etc. (and the rest of the list is pretty long). Whatever happened to hard work. I've worked hard all of my life and now my reward is that I pay at least 35% of my income in federal and state taxes. Why work when you can sleep in and enjoy life on the dole? "

insider wrote on Aug 5, 2007 11:32 AM:

" I am a little confused as to how the tax rate cuts are hurting the economy when total federal tax revenue is at an all time high. too bad spending is also at an all time high. "

L. Larsen wrote on Aug 5, 2007 9:59 AM:

" Hey 8q2y and Herb, don’t ask me, and all the rest of us out here in Internet land those questions, I don’t have the answers and if I did could not help you! Call, write or email Senator Conrad with your issues! Here is his email address: http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html On his web site he also has his snail mail address. He has always been friendly and cordial when ever I have contacted him. Contacting your political leaders is how the system works. Be thankful you are from North Dakota; there are not to many of us and it is easier for our congressional delegation to get in contact with us. When you email you will be asked for your phone number and address so he can contact you. You will not be able to hide behind 8q2y and just Herb. "

8q2y wrote on Aug 5, 2007 8:11 AM:

" what about preventative medicine Kent? "

Herb wrote on Aug 5, 2007 7:53 AM:

" Is Conrad trying to say that those who earn less than $50,000 deserve the same tax cut as those earning over $1,000,000? How can somebody that doesn't pay income tax (or much of it) get a huge income tax cut? It would be like telling North Dakotan's that everyone would get property tax relief even if you didn't pay property tax. If you have a million dollars of taxable income you pay roughly 330,000 in tax as a single filer. Taking into acocunt the standard deduction and personal exemption a single filer could make roughly 10,000 and still not pay a dime in tax. In fact, they might even have a refundable Earned Income Credit and get a refund even though they didn't pay in anything. I guess I don't get Conrad's point about bringing taxes into a healthcare discussion. Oh yeah, except he's trying to get votes by making it seem that he's fighting for us "small guys." Why am I not surprised that a Dem wants punish those that are successful so those who sit on their butts all day long can get more welfare. "

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