Commuicating with my Congressional Representative

One of the political groups that I subscribe to recently asked me to send a letter to my U.S. Congressional representation. The organization provided a form letter urging that Congress persons that voted to repeal the health care reform act, follow through with their action by rejecting the government provided health care they receive. The U.S. Congressional Representative for South Dakota, Kristi Noem, responded to my form letter with a form letter of her own. Most of the letter was comprised of an explanation as to why she was not going to reject her government provided health care. She also explained:

I support repealing the health care law and replacing it with common-sense solutions that will lower health care costs, expand access, and not break the bank. I support a replacement plan that covers people with pre-existing conditions, allows those under the age of 26 to stay on their parent's policy, permits small businesses to pool together to purchase health insurance at a lower cost, allows individuals to purchase insurance across state lines, and enacts meaningful medical liability reform.

This struck me as odd, since she just voted to repeal a law that, according to the CBS network's website, included:

Insurance Reforms:

Six months after enactment, insurance companies could no longer denying children coverage based on a preexisting condition.

Starting in 2014, insurance companies cannot deny coverage to anyone with preexisting conditions.

Insurance companies must allow children to stay on their parent's insurance plans until age 26th.
Health Insurance Exchanges:

The uninsured and self-employed would be able to purchase insurance through state-based exchanges with subsidies available to individuals and families with income between the 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty level.
Separate exchanges would be created for small businesses to purchase coverage -- effective 2014.

In her form letter to me, it seems as though she was saying that these were common-sense solutions that would, in her words: "lower health care costs, expand access, and not break the bank."

In my reply to her reply I asked her to please send me a list of the dollar amounts associated with each item that you expect these ideas to save. This seemed like a logical question at the time.

When I wrote my reply to her reply I had not visited the CBS website yet so I asked her if items one and two of her listed solutions in the current legislation. It also seems that item three appears to be the very basis of all existing insurance, in that each insurance company pools the premiums of its policy holders and the premiums reflect the payments required to cover the shared risks of the insured beneficiary group.

Finally, I asked her if she could describe her idea of meaningful medical liability reform? This was a sincere request and not an attempt to trip up Representative Noem. I did not vote for her in the most recent election, but she is the only representative that I have in U.S. House of Representatives, so I will work with what I have.