"More specifically, the Lewin Group is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary that was accused by the New York attorney general and the American Medical Association of helping insurers shift medical expenses to consumers by distributing skewed data. Ingenix supplied UnitedHealth and other insurers with data that allegedly understated the "reasonable and customary" doctor fees that insurers use to determine how much they will reimburse consumers for out-of-network care." David S. Hilzenrath, Washington Post Staff Writer

Congress created the Congressional Budget Office in 1974 as a means to provide oversight for the White House and its use of the budget and fiscal projections.

While the CBO is the official numbers cruncher pertaining to budgetary elements, the current director, Douglas Elmendorf is rethinking his statement that reform in its current format would not bend the health care cost curve, clarifying there are a multitude of provisions yet to be added and actual savings had not been accounted for in offsetting earlier cost predictions.

When considering the politics of federal spending, it is interesting to point out that the Republican Party, which is now touting recanted remarks made by the CBO on health care reform proposals, continuously belittled the organization for its accounting throughout the tenure of the Bush Administration.

In 2004 when the CBO predicted Bush's new tax and spending proposals would result in deficits of $2.75 trillion over ten years, an unnamed spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget made clear, ''even CBO would admit we don't honestly know what these numbers will look like 10 years from now.''

That same year, the Bush administration pushed forward with its plans for Medicare Part D despite its internal cost estimates were $139 billion more than those reflected by the CBO. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee worked diligently to defeat any attempts of Democratic colleagues to make those estimates public knowledge.

Republicans were frantic when the CBO refused to run the 2004 Bush tax cuts through myriad economic models to see if the government could make money by stimulating spending. The CBO used a "static" method, discovering $1.2 trillion in deficits throughout the next ten years. Republicans, naturally of course, largely and conveniently chose to ignore the findings.

Possibly the greatest caution for treating CBO projections as concrete evidence, one needs only to study the predictions indicated for the cost of the Iraq War. When the surge of troops began in 2007, the estimated price tag had risen by almost double the 2003 predictions to $2.4 trillion after interest for the war in Iraq alone.

The point is -- two years ago while Republicans were ridiculing the CBO's projections, Democratic leadership was highly concerned.

Double standards do apply. Making a comparison between the cost of war and the cost of health reform may be equivalent to comparing apples to oranges, yet I find it inescapable to point out the political posturing taking place.

Bush ignored CBO predictions for results of his tax cuts.

Without serious reform, in the next three years Medicare and Medicaid will make up 50% of all national health spending. Worth noting: 62% of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were a result of medical expenses underfunded by insurance companies. Small businesses will be paying out over $2.4 trillion in health care expenses for their employees over the next ten years.

Former CBO director, Orszag said, "In providing a quantitative estimate of long-term effects without any analytical basis for doing so, CBO seems to have overstepped."

While Douglas Elmendorf continued a statement, "but there is also a chance that substantial savings might be realized," referring to the Obama plan.

Republicans would have us believe we live in a magical world where the first part of a sentence is the basis for their argument, while the second half is discounted entirely thanks to selective hearing.
No matter the result of health care reform, one fact will not change. As Baby Boomers age, cost will continue to rise to provide our elderly citizens with adequate healthcare. Today, it is indisputable that Medicare is not sustainable without serious reform.

Do opponents who gleefully accept this government "handout" who once again label our government as Fascist realize the amount of income tax dollars that will be required to sustain their assistance for medical care? Maybe their lack of concern is because their children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. So much for focus on family values, here is to mud in your eye.

Miz Jenkins, please do tell how you plan to contribute to "craft" this bill that will make all Americans so happy.

We are literally dying to know.

[Photo Credit: The above photograph is used by permission from the Kansas Health Institute. The original photo appeared on the KHI site first.]

Dear Mrs. Cassells,

Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me with regard to H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. As your representative in Washington, I want you to know how much I value your thoughts and concerns.

There is no question we need health care reform, but it needs to be done right. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), current proposals will add $239 billion to the deficit, increase taxes by $818 billion on individuals who cannot afford coverage and continue our government on a fiscally unsustainable path at a time when we're facing record deficits. I cannot support H.R. 3200 in its current form and I very concerned about the impact it would have on every American family, individual, and small business.

I am confident we can fix our health care problems by weeding out waste, fraud, and abuse to bring down costs and by working together to craft a truly bipartisan bill. Both Republicans and Democrats have significant problems with H.R. 3200, but I am hopeful that if we take our time and work in a bipartisan way, we can work toward reforms that will empower Americans and give them more accessibility, affordability, and choice. Please be assured I will continue to work toward a common sense solution to America's health care crisis.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please never hesitate to call, email, or write if you have any issues or concerns on your mind. Also feel free to visit my website at www.lynnjenkins.house.gov where you can see what I have been up to and sign up for my weekly newsletter.

Sincerely,

Lynn Jenkins, CPA
Member of Congress

Dear Miz Jenkins,

I did not send you a form letter and would expect that when you address a constituent who expresses real concerns of a personal nature regarding health provider costs, the same courtesy would be extended.

Rather, what I received was a reiteration of a speech given on the House floor by Dan Burton, Republican of IN on July 22 according to original text from the Congressional Record. This is a common talking point it would appear.

Many Republicans seem to be sharing this same information with their constituents as well as in the halls of Congress.

I have researched your talking points in the form letter that you sent me and respectfully I am dissatisfied with your response.

I believe honesty and full disclosure should be paramount when citing sources for the figures that you use to calculate, or in your case, copy from text when sharing your personal insight of the numbers quoted for a matter of such high priority as health care reform.

Denise Cassells