Emailed to WA Congressman Adam Smith after attending his Lakewood town hall this evening:

 

I attended your Lakewood town hall tonight, and appreciated your
intelligent answers and support for a public option in health care
reform.  Many questions were asked about how to pay for reform.  I want
to share some ideas with you. 

* INCREASED ACCESS TO MIDWIVES
AND OUT OF HOSPITAL BIRTH.  Medicaid pays for a lot of births, and
requiring federal Medicaid to reimburse a Certified Professional
Midwife in an out of hospital setting reduces costly intervention,
including Cesarean section.  The WHO recommends an optimal 15%
c-section rate and the US rate is now 31%.  These surgeries are costly,
many are unnecessary, and could be prevented with midwifery care for
healthy women.  Please watch this video:  www.reducinginfantmortality.com.

* 
INCREASED ACCESS TO ALTERNATIVE/COMPLEMENTARY PREVENTIVE CARE.  I
listened to a round-table on preventive care held by the
administration, and many medically-trained providers lamented the fact
that they did not get adequate training in disease prevention. 
Naturopaths, massage-therapists, acupuncturists, midwives, etc. all
provide low-tech preventive and wellness-promoting care.  This also
solves the problem of lack of adequate providers while expanding
patient choice.

* INCREASED ACCESS TO FAMILY PLANNING. 
Preventing unintended pregnancy reduces costs to insurers.  If everyone
had access to services provided by state family planning waiver
programs (like the Take Charge program in Washington), people would be
able to control their reproductive lives and save the state money.

*
REPEAL THE BUSH TAX CUTS AND INCREASE TAXES FOR THE WEALTHIEST
AMERICANS.  We all benefit from the great things the US has to offer,
and the ones who benefit the most need to give back the most. 

Thank you so much for the work you do for us.  Keep it up.

Sincerely,

Alison Duren-Sutherland
Medical Insurance Biller
Homebirth Mom
Apprentice Midwife