Sen. Harry Reid: Setting the record straight on health insurance reform

Congress is closer than ever before to providing Nevada and the nation with historic reforms to our health insurance system. In the Senate, I'm fighting to ensure that we deliver a bill to the president that reduces costs, improves outcomes, and protects patients' choice.

We've all heard the reasons that one might be for or against reform, but with the amount of misinformation being spread about the reform we're pushing for, I thought it necessary to share with you what Newsweek magazine recently called "the top five lies in the health care debate."

One myth states that once reform is passed, you will have no choice in what benefits you receive. This simply isn't true. First, if you like it, you can keep the insurance you have. Legislation under consideration in Congress will ensure that insurance reform lowers costs, that prevention is covered, and that there are no annual or lifetime caps on your benefits. We will require that insurance companies provide minimum coverage to everyone. This includes if you get sick, and even if you have a pre-existing condition.

Another myth is we would make it illegal to provide chemotherapy for older Medicare patients. This is another lie meant to scare our senior citizens away from supporting reforms that help them. Nevada's seniors should know that health insurance reform will improve Medicare and assist early retirees. To be frank, we already have rationing in our insurance system - as too many Nevadans know, the insurance companies do it all the time.

Another egregious myth discussed in the article was addressed by the president when he spoke to Congress and the American people a few weeks ago. He promised us that under health insurance reform, no one here illegally will receive benefits. Let me say in no uncertain terms, we will not pass a bill that provides health insurance to those who are in the country illegally.

One of the most disgusting and disingenuous myths surrounding insurance reform is the claim that we want to create "death panels." This originated from a provision to provide reimbursement to physicians for optional end of life counseling for seniors who request that service (key word being optional). Nothing in this legislation would "pull the plug on grandma" and those who say otherwise are deliberately misrepresenting the facts.

The final myth the Newsweek article debunks is that the government would set doctors wages. This also is designed to scare, distract, and stop Congress and the president from enacting meaningful health insurance reform.

We are trying to pass a bill that will stop discrimination in coverage, lower costs for all, and make sure that no one in Nevada ever has to worry about medical bankruptcy again.

The cost of inaction is too high.

• Sen. Harry Reid can be reached through his Web site at reid.senate

.gov.