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Support H.R.3962 Call your U.S. Representative this week By Alcohol, Other Addictions & Health Care Staff, General Board of Church & Society WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) urges you to contact your member of the U.S. House of Representatives this week and urge them to support H.R.3962. Although the bill’s negotiated rates public option is disappointing, H.R.3962 would make a life-saving difference to many people, we consider it an important improvement in U.S. health-care coverage to all. Wednesday to Friday, Nov. 3-6, are important call-in days to contact your representatives to register your support of H.R. 3962 before the House votes on the legislation. You can contact your representatives through a toll-free number 1-888-797-8717. GBCS has been a strong supporter of the public option because it sets forth a principle within our position that it is a governmental responsibility for a country to provide its citizen’s with health care. (Social Principle ¶162V). GBCS believes that the public option would be needed: to enroll persons who have traditionally not been desired by private insurance, to compete with private insurance and hold premiums down, and to provide a choice to persons who simply do not trust commercial insurance companies to be there for them when they need it. A review of the legislation suggests, however, that some of the features that we had relied on the public option to provide now exist in other parts of the plan, such as expanded Medicaid. Biblical safety net We read of a safety net In the books of Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Ruth. Deuteronomy (24:19-21, NRSV) gives the most comprehensive description: When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back and get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this. Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22 give a condensed version that refers to the “poor” rather than the “widow and orphan.” In Ruth 2:2-23 the romance of the Israelite Boaz with Ruth, a destitute foreign widow from Moab, begins as she gleans in his fields. Just because few of us make our living growing wheat or grapes or olives, we should not miss the essential point: The government of our day, like the government in ancient Israel, is responsible to make arrangements so that there will be some safety net for the poor. These passages tell us it is the will of God that nobody perish because they have been denied an opportunity. When we fail in our duty to the poor, we are slapping the face of God who brought our ancestors out from slavery. Yet, gleaning was probably controversial in its day. If you own the field, don’t you own every bit of grain? Who has the right to tell you that you can’t have everything you own? And on behalf of deadbeats and strangers?! Why don’t they get a job and take care of themselves? Isn’t it socialism when the authorities tell you that deadbeats and strangers have to glean from what’s yours? United Methodist position What is sacred to our faith is not the particular method of a safety net, but the principle. As United Methodists, we look to the Bible, our Social Principles, and the Resolutions our General Conference adopts each four years. As Congress considers reforms to our broken American health-care system, its efforts must be assessed by how well the needs of the helpless are addressed. Now that H.R.3962 has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, it seemed like a good time to take a look at the issues raised by those who sent their stories in to our John 10:10 site, and see how well they are addressed. GBCS has prepared a table, “An Analysis of H.R.3962,” that focuses on issues these stories raise. The table contains in its left column a description of the issues raised, and an analysis in the right column of how H.R.3962 addresses these issues. Congressional Budget Office estimates The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has noted that the $1,055 billion costs of this health-care reform program lie in the subsidies provided through the exchanges, increased outlays for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Improvement Program, and tax credits for small employers. These costs will be offset by $167 billion in collections from individuals and employers. Other spending reductions would save $426 billion. The high-income tax surcharge on income over $500,000/individual or $1,000,000/couple and other provisions would increase federal revenues by $572 billion. When these and other factors are added together, the CBO estimates a net reduction in the federal deficit of $104 billion over the 2010-2019 period. By 2019, the CBO estimates that the proportion of people living in the United States who have health insurance would increase from 83% to 96%. Instead of the 54 million who would be without insurance without this program, only 18 million would be uninsured. About 6 million of these would be undocumented immigrants. The number of persons obtaining insurance through employers would increase by 6 million. Those purchasing individual insurance outside the exchanges would decrease by 6 million. Twenty-one million would purchase their own coverage through the Exchanges. Fifteen million people would be eligible for the expanded Medicaid, and 6 million would enroll in the public plan. The CBO’s estimates that 6 million will choose the public plan may be optimistic, because CBO also estimates that the public plan’s premiums may, in some cases, be higher than commercial insurance. The premiums would be higher for two reasons: The plan would have to negotiate prices of services with providers, and the plan would be too small to negotiate big discounts. It might be precisely those with high medical bills who seek the security of a public plan, thereby raising its costs. Contact U.S. Representatives GBCS encourages United Methodists to contact their Representatives during this week’s Call-in Days to let them know that this bill is supported because it represents a step in the right direction toward providing access to health care for all citizens. For more information, visit 10:10 Challenge, or contact the Rev. Cynthia Abrams, director, Alcohol, Other Addictions & Health Care program. Date: 11/3/2009 ©2005-2009

November 3, 2009 Word from Winkler — A difficult text Support H.R.3962 Sex and the Church — Black women’s sexuality and spirituality Hate crimes legislation becomes law Striking the right tone on HIV/AIDS Robust public option supported Churches need to promote health, wholeness World March for Peace & Nonviolence NYC Civil Rights Movement 1960-2010 Native American dialogue Call to Action recommendations Ethnic Young Adult Internship deadline Human Rights & Solidarity internship Student Day funds scholarships, loans On health and wholeness