State Residents Wonder: Will Target Dems Vote to Take Away Their Insurance?

July 31, 2009

FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04); Chris Carney (PA-10); Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); Glenn Nye (VA-02); Tom Perriello (VA-05); Chellie Pingree (ME-01); and Harry Teague (NM-02).

Virginians Wonder: Will Perriello Vote to Take Away Their Insurance?

New Study Shows Democrats’ Healthcare Takeover Will Force 60% of Virginians Insured through their Employer to Lose Coverage

Washington- The chips are on the table for Tom Perriello. A new study by the nonpartisan Lewin Group shows that the Democrats’ government healthcare takeover would be devastating for Virginians. According to the study, 2.7 million Virginians who are covered by employer-provided private insurance plans will lose their coverage if a recent iteration of Nancy Pelosi’s healthcare plan is put in place – and 88.1 million Americans nationwide.

The study refutes the oft-repeated claims by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and other Democrats that those Americans who are satisfied with their insurance plans can keep them:

“President Obama and congressional Democrats want to pass a comprehensive bill that contains rising costs, preserves patient choice. If you’ve got it and you like it, you can keep it. That’s our mantra. And every American ought to know that and feel comfortable with that premise.” (Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at Speaker Pelosi’s Weekly Press Conference, 5/22/09)

“Tom Perriello faces a very clear choice: he can either stand with Virginia families or he can give in to his party bosses and force millions of Virginians from their current insurance plans,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Virginia families deserve a real healthcare solution, but as Democrats push forward with their government healthcare takeover, Tom Perriello seems more interested in a destructive agenda that will only cost his constituents money and valuable health insurance coverage.”

According to a study by the Lewin Group, issued by the Heritage Foundation:

55 percent of privately insured Virginia residents would transition out of private insurance: Of the estimated 4.7 million Virginia residents with private health insurance,there would be a decline of 2.6 million people with private coverage.
60 percent of Virginia residents with employer-based coverage would lose their current insurance: Of the estimated 4.5 million Virginia residents with employer-based coverage, 2.7 million people would be shifted out of their current employer-based plan.
84 percent of Virginia residents in a health insurance exchange would end up in the public plan: Of the estimated 3.7 million Virginia residents who would obtain coverage through an exchange, 3.1 million would be covered by the public plan.
29 percent of the uninsured in Virginia would still lack coverage: Of the estimated 1.2 million Virginia residents without health insurance, the legislation would only reduce the uninsured by 850,100, leaving 349,900 Virginia residents without coverage. (Source: Heritage Foundation)

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