The Battle Over Healthcare Hypocrisy Moves To New Jersey

This morning the Blue America healthcare hypocrites radio ad (above) started running on "Good Time Oldies," 1450 WCTC in Somerset, particularly heavily on Jack Ellery's morning drive time talk show. The idea is to challenge 2 term Congressman Leonard Lance on his efforts to prevent the health protections he enjoys as a Member of Congress from extending to all American families. Lance, who had signed up for taxpayer-subsidized healthcare when he was a New Jersey state legislator before he became a Congressman, was among the Republicans who voted down a transparency amendment that would have required all Members of Congress to state whether or not they were getting taxpayer subsidized healthcare. Now he's waffling on whether or not he takes it and there is no way to get teh truth of who pays for his family's healthcare. His name has never been included on any of the lists of Republican congressmembers rejecting government-funded healthcare. We may never know the truth but what we do know is that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce released a study that shows the impact of repealing the health care reform law specifically on New Jersey's 7th CD. The findings, in short, showed that the repeal Lance voted for last month would have significant consequences on the district by:

* Allowing insurance companies to deny coverage to 120,000 to 303,000 individuals, including 9,000 to 39,000 children, with pre-existing conditions.

* Rescinding consumer protections for 508,000 individuals who have health insurance through their employer or the market for private insurance.

* Eliminating health care tax credits for up to 18,200 small businesses and 74,000 families. ? Increasing prescription drug costs for 8,100 seniors who hit the Part D drug “donut hole” and denying new preventive care benefits to 96,000 seniors.

* Increasing the costs of early retiree coverage for up to 9,700 early retirees.

* Eliminating new health care coverage options for 1,700 uninsured young adults.

* Increasing the costs to hospitals of providing uncompensated care by $17 million annually.

Last night I called Ed Potosnak, the Blue America-endorsed Democrat who ran against Lance in 2010 and will try to do so again in 2012. He told me that he has no idea how Lance funds his personal healthcare but that what's important is that he voted to repeal it for New Jersey's hard-pressed residents. “Every American," said Ed, "deserves access to affordable, high quality, healthcare and I am committed to improving the new healthcare law to allow families to choose a public option. My partner, Jeremy, is a Registered Nurse and tells me how the Emergency Department is being used as a primary care facility for too many Americans resulting in higher healthcare costs at the expense of all Americans. Better healthcare means a healthier and more prosperous nation."

If you'd like to help us expand the rotation of the ad-- or if you'd like to contribute to Ed's campaign, you can do it at this Act Blue Page.