Dear John,

Thank you for contacting me with your views on health care reform. I appreciate your comments, and I welcome this opportunity to share my thoughts.

For years, patients, employers, and health care providers have been urging their representatives to tackle the problems in our health care system. And, without action, our health care costs have kept climbing each year?"forcing more employers to drop coverage for their workers, increasing the number of uninsured Americans who can't afford coverage, and leading hardworking families to file bankruptcy when faced with the unexpected. The one thing everyone has agreed on is the need for reforms that improve care and hold down costs. Over the past year, as Congress debated

reform, I looked over several proposals for fixing what's broken in our current system while preserving what works. Sadly, I saw a lot of Representatives support or oppose various ideas and bills based on politics, not policy. My job is to look beyond all those political games, study each bill carefully, and do my best to make the right decision for Indiana.

After months of meetings and conversations with thousands of patients, health care providers, and policy experts, I am confident supporting health care reform was the right decision for Hoosiers. That's why I voted for the final health care reform package that passed the House on March 21, 2010. This bill was far from perfect, but it will make real improvements over the status quo for Hoosiers.

Health insurers will no longer be able to refuse access to insurance to the 109,000 uninsured Hoosiers with pre-existing conditions. Small businesses providing health insurance will receive tax credits to make that coverage more affordable. Seniors who get caught in the Medicare Part D donut hole will see that coverage gap shrink every year and close for good in 2020. Young adults trying to find a job with health benefits can stay on their parents insurance plans until their 26th birthday. The final reform bill also makes some of the big reforms that Hoosiers have called for. It guarantees Americans access to the exact same coverage I get as a Member of Congress. It begins reforming Medicare and Medicaid to start rewarding doctors and hospitals who deliver quality, efficient care that improves their patients' health. It also makes insurance companies compete across state lines?"opening up the power of competition to bring down premiums.

As you know, this health care reform package is very complex, and every Hoosier has a unique perspectives and a different question. Please visit my website www.ellsworth.house.gov and click the "Understanding Health Care Reform" link to see in-depth answers to the questions I am hearing from constituents like you about this new law and how it will affect you, your family, or your employer. Thanks again for taking time to share your views with me. Stay in touch!

Sincerely,

Brad Ellsworth