Home / Term Paper / Congressman David E. Price and His Health Care Policies, Term Paper Example

Congressman David E. Price and His Health Care Policies, Term Paper Example

Pages: 13

Words: 3438

Known as one of the major supporters of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, Congressman David E. Price takes health care seriously, and works on improving the protection and services provided for the entire population of the United States. On his website (2014), he states: “As your Representative, I am committed to fully implementing the important reforms included in the Affordable Care Act, building on its successes and working to address any shortcomings”. The below essay will review his work regarding the Act, proposals for change, and implementation planning. Based on the review, the author will attempt to predict whether or not Congressman David E. Price of the 4^th Congressional district of North Carolina will be able to convince voters to give him a place in he Congress during the Midterm Elections.

Background

Congressman Price has a political science educational background. According to his official biography (Price), he has written several books about the political system of the United States. He is a member of several committees, such as the House Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, and – according to the website (Price), in North Carolina, David’s constituents know him as a strong supporter of education, accessible health care, affordable housing, clean air and water, and improved transportation alternatives”. While he has worked together with several politicians on improving the Affordable Care Act and related regulations, he is today not known for his health care policy work. Indeed, he is not a member of any of the related committees, and his biography does not mention any legislative accomplishments related to health care reform. However, in his local campaign, he works hard to provide better health care for North Carolina residents, according to his personal statement.

Health Care Policies

Reviewing the legislation sponsored or cosponsored by Congressman Price, during his political career, he was involved in nearly 700 rulings and policy preparations (Congress website). One of the main areas he focused on in health care was women’s protection, and he co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013, introduced and sponsored by Representative Judy Chu. The Act focused on reducing the number of illegal abortion interventions. Regarding prevention and health care delivery to all populations, the Congressman co-sponsored the School-based Health Centers Program Reauthorization Act of 2013, which was sponsored by Representative Lois Capps. This reauthorization was important, as it provided a budget for schools to create community health facilities for children. Given the number of disadvantaged kids in the U.S. school system, and the potential problems of the lack of prevention and screening facilities, this act is beneficial for all families with school aged children.

The Personalize Your Care Act (2013) was important as it made the Affordable Care Act more flexible and suitable for patients. As the introduction of the Act (H.R.1173 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) states: “All individuals should be afforded the opportunity to fully participate in decisions related to their health care or the care of a person for whom they are the proxy or surrogate”. It emphasizes the importance of planning care, therefore, it promotes patient-centered approach in facilities.

Also in the 113^th Congress, he co-sponsored the H.R.1024 – Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2013, Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2013, Patients’ Access to Treatments Act of 2013, the Medicare Hospice Care Access Act of 2012, and several more acts that are enhancing the impact of the Affordable Care Act. This means that the congressman – while not directly involved in the policy-making process and the work of health committees in the Senate – pays attention to the proposals that are considered and has a clear vision of the future of the U.S. health system.

One of the most commonly acknowledged and debated amendment brought forward regarding the Affordable Care Act by Congressman Price in the 112^th Congress: H.R.3149 – To amend title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to expand access to high risk pools. It was designed to expand the pool of individuals eligible for high risk health insurance policies. The Act was introduced to the House in 2011 and referred to the Subcommittee on Health of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In politics, it is not only important which bills a congressman supports and co-sponsors, but also how they publicize their actions related to the issue. Reviewing the campaign site of Congressman Price (Price for Congress), in particular focus on the “news” section, it is evident that the politician has received several endorsements during the past few years. He, however, focuses on the affordability of education, funding of tuition, university courses, and health related research, instead of getting directly involved in policy making related to health care. He is best known of authoring the Price Education Affordability Act that allows parents and students of universities or colleges receive a tax break on their loans. He was also supporting the “No Child Left Behind” program. According to the campaign site’s “Issues” section, (Price for Congress), the text of the site states that Price helped President Obama with passing the Affordable Care Act. He also fought for the rights of patients who were denied insurance cover by companies due to their pre-existing medical condition. He helped introducing new regulations related to tax credit allowances for small businesses, so they are able to provide essential health insurance for their employees. He supported the modifications of the Affordable Care Act to close the gap in coverage for seniors. Finally, the Congressman is working on advancing stem cell research and developing ethical, safety guidelines for related laboratories, in order to speed up the process of finding a cure for some chronic or acute conditions.

In a recent article, after meeting the public in North Carolina, the Congressman stated: “We should increase the minimum wage, and we should require that women receive equal pay for equal work. We should expand access to education, including our state’s fine community colleges. And we should take advantage of the generous support offered by the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid to 377,000 North Carolinians”. His program is clear, and he stands by the Affordable Care Act, as well as social reforms that enhance gender and racial equality in the United States.

Debates

The main debate the Congressman was involved in the past few years was related to the Affordable Care Act. He stated that – while budgetary implications of the Act were considerable – the protection of seniors and vulnerable populations was only possible through enforcing the law. He also voted “Nay” for proposal 450 that any change made to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would need prior approval by the Congress. He voted “Nay” for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that would have banned all abortion 20 or more weeks after fertilization. The above debates are indeed expressing a clear democratic direction of the politician. The Ballotopedia website, however, states that Price is a “populist-leaning liberal”. The authors base their conclusion on the votes of the Congressman and the issues he has been involved in. As a summary, the authors say that Price strongly favors the statement that abortion is women’s unrestricted right, and is comfortable with same sex marriage. He strongly opposes making human needs a higher priority than animal rights, while strongly favors the expansion of Obamacare.

Tobias (4) summarizes the various debates surrounding Obamacare. As it is likely that the national results for midterm election will be greatly influenced by people’s understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of the current Obama administration’s policies and achievements so far, it is important to cover some of the debates that are brought up by the author. It is evident that those who are not happy with the health insurance services and provisions will not vote for Democrats.

Tobias (6) highlights the fact that the Affordable Care Act puts a limit on services available though health insurance. As the author (Tobias 6) states: “health insurance plans

offered in the exchanges typically have narrow panels of available health care providers that exclude specialist doctors and healthcare centers with a high reputation for successfully offering effective life-saving medical treatment”. The above argument has a foundation, and indeed several people who require specialist treatment would be disadvantaged by companies providing cover. While price has voted for amendments that provided better provisions for those with chronic or critical illnesses, for many people this is not enough.

Another argument that Tobias mentions is that the law limits senior citizens’ ability to make up for the shortfall of their Medicare cover and pay for additional services out of their own budget. Before the law was enforced, senior citizens were able to choose insurance plans that allowed them to choose insurance plans that had an excess option: they could take out an insurance and pay the amount due above what was covered by the government. This is an important issue, as many people in America, currently retired saved up enough to afford the best quality health care and increase their life expectancy, but their opportunities are limited. Indeed, these people would possibly be better off to go without insurance and pay for the services out of pocket.

One of the strongest statements of the study is that “Obamacare authorizes Washington bureaucrats to create one uniform, national standard of care that is designed to limit what

private citizens are allowed to spend to save their own lives” (Tobias 7). It is evident that the main argument that opposition could use to question the legitimacy of Obamacare is that it standardizes and limits health care access. In short: it expands coverage on the national level, but also regulates which interventions, health plans, operations, and treatments can be included in one’s policy. In an individualistic society, like the United States of America, it is hard to explain citizens that they do need to compromise on their level of cover to make up for the deficit of Medicare and to cover the health care of people who are currently uninsured.

Reputation Of Representative Price

In 2012, Congressman Price won 74.5 percent of votes in the 4^th District of North Carolina. His reputation among voters is high, and no scandals of corruption have affected it in the past two years. It is likely that he would achieve the same support during the Mid-term elections of 2014. However, it is also important to review the historical performance of Price as a politician, and a summary of his actions, debates, and progressive actions is provided by the “That’s My Congress” website. His progressive rating as of 2012 was determined at 62 out of a maximum of 62. This means that the politician is active in sponsoring new legislation and works towards changing the life of people in line with the principles of security, equality, and freedom that represents American values.

According to the Govtrack website, the voting record of Representative Price is better than the average. His missed vote score is only 1.4 percent, which is low compared with the average of 2.5 percent.

The regression action score of Price was determined at 11 (That’s My Congress). He only pushed forward 11 percent of regressive policies in the United States through voting or co-sponsoring. This data reveals that the Congressman has the ability to see the direction of the government and work towards common goals, without holding back progress. Price has been defined as an effective politician with clear direction.

In the North Carolina 4^th District, demographics favor democrat leadership. As of 2012, 83.5 percent of the population lived in urban areas, and over a quarter of residents were from non-white background. At the same time almost 20 percent of the residents have a Masters or higher degree (That’s My Congress). It has been shown by research that those who belong to ethnic minority groups are more likely to vote for democrats. Price is also an established leader in North Carolina, and is currently serving his 13^th term, with one term missed when he failed to be re-elected.

Competition

The challenger of David Price in the 4^th District of North Carolina is Paul Wright, a Republican candidate. In his campaign (Wright), he clearly states his opinion about the patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: “among the most pressing concerns before us are the full repeal of Obama Care (we must retain our freedom to choose our own doctor and nurses)” (Wright Campaign Website). Instead of focusing on protecting the most vulnerable populations of the United States, Wright is looking to create policies that would empower the middle class. In 2012, he also ran to win the title of North Carolina Governor, without success.

It is likely that people in North Carolina believe that amending and improving the Affordable Care Act is a more effective and cheaper option for America than simply withdrawing it. As Wright focused a great effort on signifying that he was against the Act without providing clear alternatives and solutions for people with or without existing Medicare or Medicaid cover, it is evident that he has a low chance of convincing voters to trust him with leading the district in the next years.

One of the main signs that Price could be challenged as a winner in the midterm elections is that in 2012 the voters of North Carolina passed the bill banning same sex marriages. This indicates that the majority of residents no longer embrace the same values that Democrats do politics by. Further, in an interview for The Times News (Lavender), Price concluded that his opponent did not run an effective campaign. Indeed, he remained invisible, while Representative Price took part in several events and met the public.

Strengths And Weaknesses

One of the main strength of Representative Price is that he is an established figure in North Carolina. He is known as a person who is working hard to protect vulnerable people, and that is the main reason why he stands by the Affordable Care Act. People have seen his face for decades, and he has a clear vision about the future of North Carolina. He knows his voters, and can connect with them. He does know the priorities of people and understands the local values. In North Carolina, the percentage of people living under poverty level between 2008 and 2012 is 16.8 percent (U.S. Census), and the national level is 14.9 percent. This indicates that several citizens could benefit from the health care reform, and the expansion of Medicare exemptions in the region. Considering that Representative Price supported to extend discounted cover, and increase the benefits for the most vulnerable citizens, it is likely that voters who belong to this group will favor his program and support him to gain a seat at the Congress.

One of the weaknesses of Price can be that he would be considered as too old to be able to see through different modification reforms related to health care. He has served 13 terms already, and some voters who are aged under 35 might not be able to connect with him.

Activism: Health Care and Local Statistics

While on a national level health insurance coverage increased between 2006 and 2010 (BRFSS), in North Carolina it stagnated. This means that in the electoral district the number of uninsured people who would potentially benefit from the Affordable Care Act is greater than the national average. This also indicates that the majority of people would support politicians who agree with the principles of Obamacare. Given the number of people living below poverty line, it is important to note that social and health care reforms are more likely to be welcome by North Carolina voters than in areas where poverty level is lower, and health insurance coverage was higher in 2012. It has been stated by Kenney et al. that the increasing number of people without health insurance coverage created a financial burden for many U.S. states. Still, several middle class residents argue that the Affordable Care Act of 2010 is simply increasing the tax income of the government by making those who contribute towards the budget pay more, in order to provide coverage for those who cannot afford health insurance. State exemption benefits are currently provided for people who live on or below 137 percent of the poverty line determined by the state.

Discussions

The Politico website features interviews regarding the health care reform and issues covered by Representative Price during the midterm campaign. A review of one of his campaign speeches states that he emphasizes the fact that the government focuses on the common good and thinks about the big picture. Indeed, in the quoted speech, he repeated the phrase: “we do big things.” three to five times. This indicates that Price does not only have a program, but a clear direction, as well.

Overall, all commentators agree that Price has a strong vision and is able to rationally explain his decisions, and communicates his views about the health care system clearly. He stands by the Affordable Care Act, and – instead of trying to pull it down, like the opposition – he works on bettering it to make it more beneficial for the majority of Americans.

Taking into consideration that North Carolina suffers from poverty and low health insurance coverage more than the average American district, supporting democratic and liberal values could help Congressman Price win the elections.

Conclusion

Reviewing the policies supported by Representative Price, and his views on the Affordable Care Act, it is evident that he is a loyal member of the Congress, and an experienced politician. He goes out to meet the public, and engages in meaningful conversations with those he represents. He is a supporter of Obamacare, while he accepts that the health care reform has several discrepancies. Still, unlike the opposition, he believes that through consultation and involvement of research organizations located in North Carolina, the law can be improved to not only benefit the disadvantaged populations of the United States, but also to provide better health care service for everyone, including those who suffer from a chronic or critical condition that is not covered by basic insurance policies. Price does not only vote for the government’s initiated legislation, but also reviews his colleagues’ proposals and co-sponsors acts that have a potential of improving the existing legislation.

The main strength of Representative Price that has been identified by the research above is that he is established as a North Carolina politician, and knows his voters. He is serving his 13^th term, and hopefully will serve more. He understands the needs of local people, however – as he has emphasized in his recent speech – he looks at the big picture. His campaign website identified the main issues he is actively involved in as education, environment and energy, the health care reform, homeland security, election law, and the rights of seniors. In his last term, he has co-sponsored several acts that were introduced in America to make health care more suitable for senior citizens. He is actively involved in the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, and supports the rights of veterans, as well as serving personnel.

Labeled as a “populist-leaning liberal” by Ballotopedia, the politician has a clear vision of America’s future and stands by his decisions. He is, however, not stubborn, and admits that some aspects of the Affordable Care Act have created health inequalities, and in the last two terms he has been working on improving health access provided under the Act, and the quality of service for veterans, women, and those who have a critical or chronic pre-existing medical condition. This shows that despite some people who do not agree with the health care reform, they might trust the politician to initiate and co-sponsor amendments that make the provisions fairer and more affordable for all. His challenger, Paul Wright has limited record of serving the public, and this means that Price has a competitive advantage as an established politician.

After reviewing the reputation, policies, and information available on Congressman Price, it is likely that he will be re-elected as the representative of North Carolina’s 4^th District. He will serve his 14^th term and continue serving the citizens of the “Triangle”.

Works Cited

Ballotopedia. “David Price” 2014. Web. www.ballotpedia.org/

Kenney, G., Zuckerman, S., Dubay, L., Lynch, V., Haley, J. & Anderson, N. (2012) Timely Analysis of Immediate Health Policy Issues. Urban Institute. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412630-opting-in-medicaid.pdf

“Paul Wright for Congress” 2014. Web. http://www.paulwrightforcongress.com/

Politico. “Did Obama ‘win’ the State of the Union?” 2014. Web. http://www.politico.com/arena/archive/kumbaya-congress-a-sham.html#2ABA61E9-C596-4136-A5B1-F39A7CB8A746

Price, D. “Price for Congress. 2014. Web.

State Trends Report. “North Carolina” 2014. Web. http://www.schs.state.nc.us/schs/pdf/2010_Trends_Report_20120814.pdf

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (2010). In Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from: http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/law/index.html.

Tobias, C. “The Affordable Care Act and Health Care Access in the United States 2014” National Right to Life Committee, Inc. 2014. Web.