Breaking the Barriers and Achieving Results for Health Care
Spotlight on Sen Blanche Lincoln (D, Ark)
In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton (D, Ga) made history by being the first woman to serve in the US Senate. In 1932, Hattie Wyatt Caraway (D, Ark) was the first woman to be elected to the Senate. As one of the 14 women currently serving in the Senate, Sen Blanche Lincoln (D, Ark) made history herself in 1998 by being the youngest woman ever elected to the Senate.
Lincoln began her political career in 1992 when she was elected to the US House of Representatives from Arkansas' first congressional district. After becoming senator, Lincoln won a coveted seat on the Senate Finance Committee in January 2001, making her only the third woman to ever serve on this committee. As a member of the Finance Subcommittee on Health, she has been a strong voice for health issues affecting women and the elderly.
Lincoln has been a valuable ally to radiology and the ACR. Her tireless efforts in the Senate Finance Committee have led to increased reimbursement for mammography. In addition, her support was crucial to the passage of the Medicare Modernization Improvement Act of 2004.
ACRa staff recently interviewed Lincoln regarding her role in the Senate and how she views health care as a primary issue facing the 109th Congress. Following are excerpts from this interview.
ACRa: You currently are on 4 different committees pertaining to very different subject matters. How important is your staff in helping you understand the nuances of all the various legislative proposals you see in committee?
Lincoln: I am extremely fortunate to have a staff composed of people who know their issues inside and out and who serve as great resources to me when dealing with committee work, as well as any need I might face. A member's staff is critical to the success of that office and what a member can do for the constituents back home. My staff, both here in Washington and back home in Arkansas, is instrumental in helping me serve my constituents.
ACRa: What can ACRa members do to become more active in advocating their issues before Congress?
Lincoln: It is important for members of Congress and their congressional staffs to have good working relationships with the people and groups they represent. My office is always open to our constituents and those seeking to solve the problems of our health care system. I encourage the members of the American College of Radiology to keep me and my staff updated with their current issues.
ACRa: Are there, or were there, obstacles you have encountered getting your voice heard as a woman in politics?
Lincoln: Years ago, my mother told me, "Blanche, it's a fact, not a fault, that we haven't had more women in elected office. It's just the way history turned out. But it's our fault if we don't do something to change that and to bring more women into government in the future." When I first came to Congress in 1992, there were 33 women serving in the House of Representatives and Senate. Today, there are 76. I hope that this trend continues and more women choose to enter politics.
I am the youngest female ever elected to the United States Senate. As time goes on, I know more women will enter politics and rise to positions in which they can influence our government, which is good for our nation as a whole.
ACRa: As one of only two women on the Senate Finance Committee is it difficult to get your issues heard?
Lincoln: I am only the third woman to sit on the Senate Finance Committee, which is a very coveted committee assignment that I fought hard to get. In our committee meetings and hearings, I have been a strong voice for health care and tax reform issues, to name a few. At a September hearing to discuss problems enrolling those who qualify for the drug discount card, I was able to voice my concerns to Dr Mark McClellan of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that seniors should be automatically enrolled in the drug discount program. The Bush Administration has now responded to these concerns and made it easier for seniors to sign up for the card.
Women bring a unique, much needed, perspective to the legislative process. For example, spending on prostate cancer outweighed spending on breast cancer, simply because female senators were not around to highlight this disparity. Women like me have also brought a different perspective to the debate on welfare reform, where the focus has shifted to include more money for child care to enable impoverished women to work.
ACRa: You have been a strong voice for women's and elderly health issues. What do you feel is the biggest crisis with our health care system today? Now that the Medicare bill has passed what would you like to see happen next?
Lincoln: The number of uninsured in our country is alarming and should be a national priority. Almost 20% of the working-aged adults in Arkansas are uninsured. An estimated 44 million Americans don't have health insurance. Those who lack health insurance don't get access to timely and appropriate health care. Americans without health insurance suffer worse health and die sooner than those who do have health insurance. Working families need help with this problem.
Unfortunately, the leaders in Congress have failed to make the uninsured a national priority. During debate on the 2005 budget resolution, I offered an amendment to provide $60 billion over 5 years to reduce the growing number of uninsured Americans and to reduce the high costs of health care. Even though my amendment was fiscally responsible because it was completely offset by closing corporate tax loopholes, the amendment was voted down on a narrow party-line vote.
I know the Medicare bill is not a perfect bill, but it is a bill that we can improve on. After meeting with seniors and interested constituents, I introduced legislation to improve the rules of coverage under the law. The Medicare Modernization Improvement Act of 2004 builds on the recent reforms and makes the Medicare drug benefit more stable and less costly for Medicare beneficiaries. It would provide access to supplemental drug insurance plans in order to fill in the gaps in the current law.
ACRa: How will your decision to vote in favor of the Medicare bill help your Arkansas constituents?
Lincoln: I supported the Medicare Modernization Act because it provides all of the 450,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Arkansas access to a prescription drug benefit for the first time in the history of the Medicare program. I fought to ensure that this new law includes special assistance for seniors who have limited savings and low incomes. About 40% of Medicare beneficiaries in Arkansas will pay no premiums or deductibles for their prescription drug coverage, will have no gap in their coverage, and will pay nominal co-pays ranging from $1 to $3 for the very poor and $2 to $5 otherwise. More than 32,000 additional seniors in Arkansas will qualify for reduced premiums, lower deductibles and coinsurance, and no gaps in their drug coverage. All told, about 47% of Medicare beneficiaries in Arkansas will receive special prescription drug assistance.
In addition to the drug benefit, this legislation positively affects Arkansas' rural health care system through an increase of an estimated $25 billion in Medicare payments to rural health providers as well as special incentives to encourage physicians to practice in rural areas.
With her 56% to 44% victory over GOP candidate Jim Holt on November 2, 2004, Sen Blanche Lincoln will serve her second term as Arkansas' senior senator. RADPAC was pleased to contribute to Lincoln's recent victory and she has stated her appreciation for RADPAC's efforts and the support of many radiologists in Arkansas. ACRa staff will continue to cultivate its already strong working relationship with Lincoln as the 109th Congress prepares to address important issues such as medical liability reform; physician reimbursement; and overutilization of imaging.