Response from Congressman Zack Space

I felt it only fair to publish the response I received from Congressman Zack Space regarding my email to him on the proposed Health Care Reform bill.


Dear Mrs. Hottinger,

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about health care reform. I appreciate the benefit of your perspective on this issue.

I believe that our nation's health care system is in need of reform. While I disagree with many of my more liberal colleagues in Congress as to the size of that reform, countless meetings with health care providers and consumers in my Congressional District have demonstrated a clear mandate for change. Here are the principles I am going to fight for:

A Stronger Rural Workforce - Rural areas of this country struggle to recruit and retain health care professionals. At a time when the importance of access to quality primary care could not be higher, some of the counties I represent have only one or two physicians serving the whole county. Health reform must make investments in this workforce and to create stronger health systems in this region.

Access To Affordable, Quality Health Insurance - For too long, individual consumers who lack employer based insurance have been unable to find affordable options for insurance. In Ohio alone, over a million individuals lack health insurance, including many working families. Health reform must bridge this gap.

Addressing the Rise of Chronic Disease - Diabetes alone costs our nation more than $170 billion each year in health care costs and lost productivity. Health reform must address how our system of healthcare works to treat and manage these diseases, as well as how we work to prevent them.

Health reform holds enormous potential to improve the lives of the residents of Ohio. Expanding access to coverage will improve the quality of life for the residents of the state, in addition to providing new employment opportunities, a possibility discussed in the RENEW Ohio report I published last year. I hope that you will continue to be in touch with my office as this process moves forward.

Thanks again for taking the time to get involved. Please don't hesitate to contact me again in the future.

Sincerely,

Zack Space

Member of Congress

P.S. If you would like to stay informed about what is going on in Congress, please visit my website and sign up for my e-newsletter.