CNSNews.com - Government-Run ‘Public Option’ in Pelosi Health Bill Threatens to Kill Hospitals, Says Democrat Who Voted Against the Bill

CNSNews.com - Government-Run ‘Public Option’ in Pelosi Health Bill Threatens to Kill Hospitals, Says Democrat Who Voted Against the Bill: "(CNSNews.com) - Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who voted against the Pelosi health care bill that was approved by the House of Representatives Saturday night, said he fears that the government-run “public option” health insurance plan the bill would create could kill the hospitals in his congressional district.

Boucher announced in a statement released before the vote the he intended “to oppose the bill because of my concern that a government operated health insurance plan could place at risk the survival of our region's hospitals.”

The bill—the “Affordable Health Care for America Act”—passed the House late on Saturday evening. The final vote was 220 to 215. Thirty-nine Democrats voted against the proposal and only one Republican, freshman Rep. Cao of Louisiana, voted for it.

Boucher said he another reason he opposed the bill was because he believes it perpetuates a system for Medicare reimbursements that treats rural areas unfairly.

“I intend to oppose the health care reform legislation recently debated by the U.S. House of Representatives for several reasons including the continued existence of disparities in Medicare reimbursements between urban and rural areas under the House bill,” said Boucher.

Boucher noted that non-profit hospitals receive payments from Medicare and Medicaid that do not cover the costs of treating the Medicare and Medicaid patients they take in. Thus, the losses incurred in treating these patients must be made up in the payments the hospitals receive from patients paying their bills with private insurance. Because the House health care bill would drive many patients out of private insurance and into government insurance that will pay rates that approximate Medicare, he argued, this will threaten the survival of the hospitals in his district."